


This road has been walked before, but not by me.

by litra



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Breaking and Entering, Evil!Tim, Gen, Getting Together, M/M, Podfic Welcome, Project Cadmus, Remix, Robots, Secret Identity, Secrets, Sort Of, Superhero Philosophies, Unethical Experimentation, unnecessary explosions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-02 20:16:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 40,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18818224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/litra/pseuds/litra
Summary: Tim Drake convinces Lex Luther to take him on as an assistant.A new young hero appears on the scene.A giant robot attacks a building.Two students get detention.The next generation tries not to repeat the mistakes of their parents.





	1. The Kid

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bessyboo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bessyboo/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Tim Luthor: An Oral Not!Fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/331908) by [bessyboo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bessyboo/pseuds/bessyboo), [moonling](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonling/pseuds/moonling). 



>  Okay, a few notes before I begin:  
> I'm taking characters, and plot lines from a lot of different places. Lex is mostly from Smallville with a few references to other versions tossed in as I see fit. Kon is mostly based on the Young Justice Superboy, though he does grow into the comic version over the course of the story. Tim is mostly from the comics, but very heavily influenced by fandom. Clark is about 75% Justice League Unlimited and 25% Smallville. Kara is from the Supergirl TV show, though I do reference JLU a few times for her. Megan and Cassie are a mix of Comics, Young Justice and whatever I needed them to be in any given scene.  
> I also reference a lot of other events from the comics and Smallville. I'll try to give context in the chapter notes, but feel free to ask questions in the comments.

It had already been a long and tedious day and it was only four in the afternoon.

Lex ran a hand over his scalp at the elevator climbed up towards his LexCorp tower office. The press conference for his new line of pharmaceuticals had been a disaster. He knew it was going to go that way after Superman barged into his off-site lab last week so at least he'd been prepared, but he still wanted to grit his teeth and force that overgrown farm boy to his knees. 

The elevator doors opened, and Miss Teschmacher smiled as he passed her desk. His office was familiar and comfortable, a large array of lead-lined glass revealed the Metropolis skyline behind a desk carved from black walnut and fitted with the most state-of-the-art computer system on or off the market.

A computer system that was currently being used to play tetris. 

There was a child sitting at his desk. A child he had never seen before and who wasn't visibly a threat. Lex put his hand in his pocket, wrapping his fingers around his panic button just in case. Shapeshifters could look like anything, after all. Or the child might not be human. The latter was less likely. The sensors in his office was very sensitive and tuned to non-human DNA.

The child paused the game and looked up. Studying Lex, and Lex was studying him. He had dark hair that someone had tried to tame with limited success. His clothing was high end, but not tailored. Lex knew from personal experience that getting anything tailored at that age was more trouble than it was worth. Then again it didn't look like the kid had hit his growth spurt yet, his feet only just touched the floor.

The child sat up properly, folding his hands in front of him on Lex's desk. It wasn't quite the same pose that Lex used when he wanted to impress and intimidate someone, but it was close, mostly hampered by the fact that the kid was undersized compared to everything else in the picture.

"You're late. Did the press confrence run long?"

Lex raised one eyebrow. It wasn't exactly a secret where he'd been but, "I wasn't aware we had an appointment." In fact he was certain they didn't but he still wasn't sure what game the child was playing.

"You had an opening in your schedule so I took the liberty." The kid circled the desk to stop in front of Lex and held out a hand. "Tim Drake, It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You'll forgive me if I don't shake the hand of someone who broke into my office. Too many assassination attempts." Lex circled the boy and the desk, running the tip of a finger across the polished surface. The game went blank, and Tim's fingerprints were illuminated on the glass surface.  It only took a few clicks to search the national databases for a matching identity. A normal child wouldn't have a police record, but normal children didn't show up in his office. 

"I uploaded my resume and personal information to your HR department while I was waiting," Tim offered. He didn't seem offended by the highly invasive search that was still ongoing.

Four minutes later Lex had confirmed that Tim Drake was the only child of Jack and and Janet Drake, the heir to an import-export company that was only one step down from his own and a completely normal human 14 year old. Tim was also a genius, who seemed to be dismissed if not neglected by his parents. Lex pulled up his mental shields, pushing away the parallels to his own childhood.

"Very well Mr. Drake. I assume you have a proposal? Answer my questions and I might hear you out."

Tim crossed his arms, striking an odd balance between looking like a child pouting and a sullen teenager. "No. I'm not going to show you all my cards just for a chance. If you want to know how I got in here or what I'm bringing to the table then we deal on even footing." He paused and considered, "You really do need to upgrade your security by the way. Miss Eve is nice and all, and I'm sure Miss Graves can handle herself, but other then that all your real defenses are pointed at the sky. Not very useful for the average intruder."

"Most of the intruders who barge into my office are far from average." 

Tim grinned and Lex belatedly realized he had just complimented the child. 

Well if that was how it was going to be, then so be it. Lex had to admit he was curious. 

Tapping the intercom, Lex spoke, "Eve, what's on my calendar for this afternoon?"

"Two meetings, the first with marketing to discuss the strategy around the X-27 project. The other a video conference with your managers in Beijing." Her voice came back light and almost eager.

"Have them send me the minutes for the marketing meeting and reschedule the Beijing meeting for next week. Something's come up."

Someone who didn't know her probably wouldn't have noticed the sudden tension under her next words, "Of course sir. Should I tell them anything in particular?"

She was fishing for one of his code words, waiting for the signal to send in Mercy guns blazing or alternately, call his legal department to sue Superman yet again.

"Just an unexpected meeting, but if you could have the kitchen send up some sandwiches, I'll likely be working through dinner again," He glanced at Tim. "Some cookies and milk as well."

Tim lifted an eyebrow, but didn't otherwise react.

"Of course sir, right away." 

Lex straightened, adjusted his cuffs and gestured to the other half of his office. If the area around his desk had been designed to impress and intimidate, the other area had been designed to set people at ease and get them to lower their guard. The wet bar was well stocked, the two armchairs and small couch were so overstuffed you nearly melted into them. There was a frankly enormous screen that could be lowered to play anything he pleased. That wasn't even taking into account the ensuite bathroom or the rooftop garden, both of which cost more than some houses to install and maintain. 

Lex poured himself two fingers of a scotch older than he was and sat in one of the armchairs. Tim hesitated for a moment, looking over the setup of the room. If he was wondering if it was a test or trap he was right, but Lex wasn't about to give the kid hints. If he wanted to play with the adults he'd have to learn the rules fast, just as Lex had.

Tim surprised him again. He ignored the couch across from Lex, as well as the armchair next to him, sitting cross legged on the table instead. Lex raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not an enemy." Tim nodded at the couch. "And I'm not trying to cozy up to you." He nodded to the chair.

"That's your analysis?"

Tim leaned back considering again, "Well there are other interpretations, but I don't want you to put me in a box just yet," he grinned.

"A box..."

"Metaphorically speaking."

Lex nodded slowly, "You have my attention." He let the sentence hang in the air, giving the boy the rope to hang himself.

Tim nodded and drew himself up; clearly he had something prepared. He found the remote to lower the screen and pulled up a keyboard in front of where he was sitting to access the LexCorp files. He navigated the different servers almost as fast as Lex did, and he had designed them. A moment later Lex was looking at a resume and an intern application.

"The LexCorp summer internship program is one of the top three in the nation. It's still just an internship, but it's a foot in the door of the business world, and over half of your interns have gone on to graduate with honors from their chosen colleges, win awards or start businesses of their own."

"I am aware of my own successes, but if I remember correctly the minimum age is sixteen."

Tim shrugged, "The interns also don't get a chance to work with you directly. They work under various department heads at best. That's not what I want."

Lex took a sip of his drink. "Your resume is impressive for someone of your age I'll give you that, but I have no reason to make an exception on the age restriction.

Tim's eyes narrowed and he took a breath, clearly ready with a rebuttal, but there was a polite knock on the door. A moment later Eve entered pushing a trolley with a selection of sandwiches, three trays of cookies, chocolate chip, ginger snaps and raspberry thumbprint, and two jugs of milk, one regular, one chocolate.  

"Will there be anything else sir?" She didn't seem at all surprised to see a fourteen year old sitting on Lex's coffee table.

"No, thank you Eve."

She nodded and slipped away, closing the door behind her. 

Lex stood, and glanced over the selection. Normally he didn't like to eat in front of business associates, but he'd missed lunch and he couldn't see the harm in letting Tim see that he was human. 

Tim only headed for the tray once Lex was settling back in his seat. He took several sandwiches, a single chocolate chip cookie and poured some of the regular milk into one of the shot glasses since there wasn't anything else at hand.

"Have you ever read the evil overlord list?" Tim asked once they had both taken the edge off their hunger.

"Since I am not an evil overlord, I can't say that I have."

Tim nodded, undeterred, "It's this list that went around the internet a while back. It basically pointed out all the things that villains in video games and novels did wrong and not to fall into the same traps."

"I'll have to take your word for it." 

"My point is that you're not really following the list." Tim was giving him a look. Lex wasn't sure if it was disappointment or expectation.

"Again, as I am not an evil overlord, I can hardly be expected to follow such a list." Lex gestured with his glass in counterpoint.

"That's really debatable."

Lex sighed, sinking back in his chair a bit, "I get enough lectures from the blue boyscout. If that's your whole pitch then you know where the door is." Perhaps the food and drink had loosened him up more than he'd thought. He'd never been sure how to act around children, maybe that was a factor...

"Not at all. Personally I agree with you about Superman. A certain amount of adversity strengthens the whole. Like fostering competition and breaking up monopolies in the business world." Tim opened the last of his sandwiches and rearranged the lettuce to his satisfaction.

Lex narrowed his eyes over the rim of his glass. "You do?" Lex considered his words more closely, "Was that from my business lecture series?"

Tim shrugged and put his sandwich back together, "I have watched all of them, but I've also sat in on some of my Dad's meetings. My point is that having an average ten year old kid around to test your plans is on the list. You don't have someone like that. From what I've seen all the people close to you are really loyal, which is good, but it also means they won't question you. Your only adversity comes from outside, and Superman keeps destroying everything you build."

Lex set aside his empty glass, "So you want to destroy it from the inside? You're not exactly selling yourself. Besides you are neither ten, nor average."

"I'm not," Tim agreed, "But an average intern wouldn't be able to keep up with you. If I'm looking over your paperwork I'll actually be useful." 

Lex wasn't sure what to think. He was intrigued, which was certainly better than the alternative. Either Tim Drake was a very precocious spy, or he was genuine. They'd been speaking around the issue of Lex's side hoby, but it was clear that TIm expected to be included in that too if he was brought on. He wondered what his father would have done if he had walked into his office with a similar proposal at fourteen, or worse, walked into a competitor's office. Except by age fourteen Lex's face had been relatively well known, at least in Metropolis. Tim Drake had managed to stay under the radar, while still racking up accolades everywhere he went. 

"And what do your parents think about this?" Lex asked to buy time.

"They're going to be in Germany over the summer. They'll let me stay here in Metropolis if I get this internship, otherwise they're shipping me off to science camp." Tim said the last two words with more disdain then Lex had seen in quite a while.

"You don't like science?" That could be a deal breaker. Lex was good at business but he didn't exactly take pleasure in it. It was a means to an end, not the end itself like it had been for his father. 

"I like science just fine, but I tested out of college level chemistry and biology last year. I don't need to go to a camp where they teach you how to test the PH levels of something."

"Ah," Lex nodded. So the boy was being sent away because they didn't want to deal with him for the months until he could be shipped back to whatever boarding school they had carefully chosen.

Lex stood and turned to the windows. He didn't have anything in the works at the moment. Well, that wasn't strictly-speaking true, but everything was still in the idea or construction phase. Clark was thoroughly tied up with his investigation into Lex's pharmaceutical release, which for once was just what it looked like. Maybe a new distraction was what he needed. Tim had certainly made this evening more interesting. 

"A week. A trial period. Words are one thing but what you propose requires trust, as well as skill. Oh, and you tell Mercy exactly how you broke in."

Tim considered the proposal. "I want it in writing."

Lex let out a laugh, and headed for his desk. Tim had all the paperwork ready. Lex only had to add in the week trial clause and sign. Sending the paperwork to be filed, Lex stood.  He offered Tim his hand. Tim looked at it, and a small genuine smile crept over his features.

They shook. "I'm looking forward to working with you Mr. Luthor."

"You as well Mr. Drake. I will see you tomorrow morning, eight o'clock sharp."

The rest of Lex's evening, after Tim was escorted out, wasn't nearly as enjoyable. Lex ended up calling his car earlier than expected, his mind drifting back to the precocious child who had so easily slipped past his guard. Was this what it would have been like to work with his brother? No, better not to think about that. That road had been closed long ago.

  
  



	2. Villainy

 

Tim stepped into Lex's office at 7:50 the next morning in a semi-formal suit. Eve or someone had given him an access badge. Or maybe he'd acquired it in the same way he'd acquired entrance to Lex's office. And speaking of which...

Lex paused typing just long enough to hit the intercom, "Mercy, will you come up to my office please?"

She was either waiting outside or following Tim, because she entered a moment later, standing at parade rest, her eyes flicking between him and the fourteen year old. 

"Sir?"

"I'm sure Eve filled you in on the events of yesterday afternoon. This is Tim. He is on a week long probation, and one of the requirements of his employment is that he help fill in some of the holes in our security. I'm leaving him in your care." Lex kept his tone light, while cackling internally. Tim and Mercy had turned to look at each other like a pair of feral dogs who didn't know if they were going to fight or not. Mercy's lips had that pinched note that they got when she knew a task was necessary but she wished it hadn't come to that. Tim blinked twice and was suddenly the picture of an eager to please child, smiling openly.

That was either a very useful skill or a sign of much needed therapy. But then, Lex was hardly one to throw stones. He went back to his emails, and let them get on with it. There was no way Tim would survive, as his intern or anything else, if he didn't find a way to make friends.

Lex didn't see Mercy again until that evening when she drove him back to his penthouse. He had expected either stony silence or an endless stream of muttering, possibly a few pointed comments. Instead she met his eyes in the rearview mirror and nodded once.

"That's it?"

"He's completely human, his background checks out, he was able to point out three holes I knew about and two more I didn't and he says you need to eat more."

"I eat plenty. I have a dietitian and everything."

"A dietitian you ignore in favor of working long hours and drinking too much coffee."

Lex couldn't actually refute that. "So you like him too."

"We'll see."

Lex nodded. That attitude was half the reason he'd hired her.

 

***

 

Lex had no intention of giving Tim anything sensitive during his trial week. There was plenty to keep him busy for months without brushing anything proprietary, let alone illegal. No matter how much Tim clearly expected to be let in on Lex's more private projects, that simply wasn't going to happen. Instead Lex gave Tim contracts to review, and projects to assess for viability. Lex had already gone over each and every one of them. It was a test. 

Because everything was a test, and a trial week was just another way of saying this is your chance to fail.

Except Tim didn't fail. 

He completed every task Lex gave him in half the time it would take even Lex's most competent people. His notes and insights were clear, precise and far-reaching. Tim seemed to be able to extrapolate success or failure from sparse data with a degree of accuracy that was astounding. He pulled up market projections and purchase histories to prove his points again and again.

On the third day, a Thursday, Lex had Tim shadow him through a host of meetings. He never explained Tim's presence and his people knew better than to ask, especially after Mercy acknowledged him. Tim didn't speak except to ask clarifying questions every so often. Mostly he took notes. At the end of the day he had a more complete list of events than the official minutes, and had outlined profiles for several key members of Lex's staff.

His conclusions were spot on. 

Lex was impressed. but there was still one hurdle Tim had yet to master.

Eve Teschmacher was the most competent PA in Metropolis. She was intensely loyal, a competent actress when her role called for it and had a memory like a bank vault. It didn't hurt that she was also beautiful. Mercy was the weapon everyone could see. Eve was a different kind of weapon, one no one even thought to look for. 

Eve should have been the hardest challenge Tim had ever faced. 

Lex had no idea how Tim won her over.

Given that even after several years he wasn't sure how he had managed the feat himself, Lex didn't take it personally. Instead he just signed on the dotted line when Eve presented the paperwork for Tim's full employment. 

 

***

 

Tim fit himself into Lex's work seamlessly. Within two weeks, he was giving Tim his own projects, not as a test but to see how he would handle them. Tim was everything he could have asked for. It made Lex a bit wary. There were very few things in his life that were too good to be true. And he didn't yet trust that Tim was one of them.

That was the main reason, but not the only one, that Lex kept Tim away from his more private projects. 

There was one meeting every week that Lex never cancelled or rescheduled, pending citywide crisis. Every Monday at ten, he, Eve, and Mercy locked down his office and discussed the state of things, including the boyscout and his interference. They planned out the week so that the three of them were on the same page.

The first week of Tim's employment, Lex told Tim that it was a private meeting. That should have been the end of it, and probably would have been, if not for the Atlanteans.

Lex woke on that particular day in early June to find half of Metropolis under a foot of water, with the levels rising. Lois Lane was on the scene, reporting for the morning news, that Ocean Master had declared that Metropolis would pay for some sin or other. Superman could be seen in the background helping to evacuate several of the buildings closest to the water.

Lex mentally changed gears. He sent out a pair of texts, one to Mercy and one to Eve, then he headed to the roof. Normally Mercy picked him up in the enclosed garage, but risking traffic today was just asking for trouble.  Most long-term residents knew the drill by now, but there were always the tourists and the recent transplants and the people who would use any excuse to cause a bit of chaos. 

Mercy arrived in his private helicopter and signed to ask if he wanted to get closer or head to the office. She wouldn't let him get too close, of course, but there was something to be said for a first-person account of things. 

He considered his options for a moment. If Ocean Master were here then chances were Aquaman was either on his way, or already dealing with the issue somewhere out of sight, and of course Superman was there. He gestured for her to make a wide circle around the chaos. Mercy nodded and took them up. 

It wasn't anything he hadn't seen before. The damage was relatively widespread, but minor. The center of the conflict was out by the docks, an area of Metropolis that was rebuilt so often it had its own line item in the city budget. Superman blurred by, diving into the middle of the mess. Lex had seen enough. This conflict wouldn't last. He gestured for Mercy to take them back to the LexCorp tower.

They banked away and fifteen minutes later the two of them walked past Eve, who stood from her desk and joined them in Lex's office. Lex glanced at his watch. 

"The schedule for this morning?" Lex asked in a terse tone

"Apart from your ten-o'clock, you had a follow up meeting with the Pharmaceutical department, which I've rescheduled for Friday. The buyout of the WestLyn factory was expected this mourning but--"

Lex waved a hand. The Factory buyout was for one of his personal projects, a few day's delay wouldn't put them back at this stage. "Fine." Lex circled his desk and pressed a hand to the floor-to-ceiling glass. He couldn't see the docks from this side of the building, but lights and smoke rose up from his left. A part of him really wanted a drink, but it was too early. Lex hated waking up to things like this.

"We might as well move up the ten-o'clock. Mercy, what was your estimate?"

"The conflict will make the evening news, but be forgotten by the end of the week. Damages negligible." She paused and considered, "The Atlanteans were acting as if they expected backup, which didn't appear."

Lex nodded. "Likely they were an advance group. If Aquaman was in the water he could have taken them out before reinforcements got to shore. Still perhaps the situation can be salvaged. Have there been reports of any casualties?"

"No civilian casualties yet. One first responder is dead and two more are being treated for electrical burns and a set of lacerations respectively. They are both expected to recover. There were a few casualties on the Atlantean side though, no word yet on what is going to be done with them." Eve said, glancing down at a tablet as she spoke. 

"Divert them to the Gamma site, bribe whoever you need to. If Aquaman comes asking, they were cremated."

"Yes sir. What should I tell Doctor Bourne?"

Lex mentally ran through the experiments being run at the gamma site. Radiation exposure and cellular mutation primarily, but there was also a vacuum lab that might see results from new subjects. "Tell him that he can have as many samples as he wants, but to leave at least one of the cadavers whole for the time being."

"Done," Eve chirped.

"What's the preliminary damage report look like?"

"Negligible," a new voice answered, echoing Lex’s earlier thoughts.

Lex turned, taking in the room as a whole for the first time. Tim was sitting on his couch, the big screen on, showing Lois's face in profile. The volume was muted, subtitles on. Tim glanced between Lois and the two tablets he was working on, one in his lap, the other set up on the table. He had been so quiet that Lex hadn't even registered his presence. Of course, none of the alarms had gone off because Tim did have access to his office, Lex just hadn't expected him to be there on time, what with everything else the morning had thrown at him.

"What?" Lex asked no one in particular.

"Three of the docks have been completely destroyed but two of them were still mostly planks from that thing with Chemo a month and a half ago. The others were made with that experimental barrel design. Looks like the barrels broke up as expected, so the harbor patrol can scoop them up and lock them back in place in a few days. The real concern is to the building foundations in that part of the city. At a guess the plumbers union will be out in full force in the next few weeks in addition to the usual repair crews. I've got a report started, but I need more data before I can lock in the numbers. I can have it on your desk by the end of the day."

"Tim." Lex fully turned, crossing his arms as he looked at the boy.

Tim glanced up, then frowned. He waved at the big screen to pause it, and stood, facing Lex. There was a cold fire in his eyes. Lex knew that look. He'd worn it often enough in front of his father, when he knew he'd done more than anyone else, but still not enough.

"Mr. Luthor."

Lex didn't want to be like his father. He just wasn't sure he knew how to be anything else.

"You've been assessing the situation?" Lex said, buying a few extra seconds.

"Yes." He went on before Lex could prod him, "You need to move the equipment you have in the warehouses on the north end of pier four. It's likely that either Ocean Master is collaborating with Intergang or they will take advantage of the situation."

"And Intergang has been trying to monopolize the harbor for the last six months." Lex finished the thought. "Are you suggesting a retreat?" Lex could ask later how Tim knew about the warehouses and his problems with Intergang. He thought he'd been keeping the boy too busy to snoop, but maybe not.

Tim's head tipped to one side. "That's one option. Superman is likely to be helping with the reconstruction, so it wouldn't be hard to push him in that direction. A few bombs in the right places and not only would he take care of Intergang for you, but if things fell out the right way he might be taken out for good--"

"No," Lex snarled. He knew he was letting his temper get the better of him, but in that moment he didn't care. Superman was his. His enemy, his to destroy, and not indirectly. When Superman died everyone was going to know who had pulled the trigger.

Tim bit his lip and suddenly he looked like the child he was rather than the competent co-conspirator he'd been seconds ago. "O-okay, well you could just tell Lane about Intergang. She likes that kind of story." Tim glanced at the big screen. "I've been trying to classify her actions, but I can't decide if she's a thrill seeker or has a death wish. She could draw attention to it anyway. That could give you an opening. I--" He caught himself then took a breath. It visibly settled him.

"I've been analyzing your past actions against Superman and the other heroes but I only have the news to go off of. I found your other servers but I haven't managed to crack them, if you gave me access I could help more."

Lex didn't trust people. He had learned that lesson too well too often. Tim seemed honest and Lex had done his homework but that wasn't enough, not in so short a time. He narrowed his eyes. Tim hadn't actually found anything incriminating, even if he had recorded this conversation, unless he was lying about getting into Lex's private servers, but if so why mention them at all?

"Why me?" Lex finally asked.

Tim blinked a few times, either surprised or doing another mental readjustment.

"There are a dozen people with my status and resources. Wayne, Kord, Queen, Or there's the government, the military, why me?"

Tim looked down at his shoes, then out at the window, and his face smoothed out. "Do you remember the time Brainiac tried to put Metropolis in a jar?" He asked offhandedly.

That had been years ago, but Lex definitely remembered it. Superman had gone up to Brainiac's spaceship to fight him directly. Meanwhile the city had been in panic. There were the equivalent of several 4.0 earthquakes as the city was lifted out of the harbor. The bridges had been cut. It had been near enough to Superman's appearance that people weren't yet accustomed to the chaos. The city wasn't doing anything. There weren't enough emergency crews.

Lex had taken charge. He had opened the first four floors of LexCorp tower as a safe zone and broadcast a continual message of what was going on. Normally people remembered Lois. They'd been attempting to date at the time (it later ended spectacularly badly)  so she was the actual face of it, with Lex coordinating.

Lex nodded, "I remember."

"I was here." Tim said in a distant tone. "It was supposed to be a vacation, at least for me. My dad had a bunch of meetings with the senator, so my mom took me around to a bunch of museums and things. Then out of the blue everyone was screaming. I remember the fire alarms going off and the museum shaking. I fell to the floor, and there was this vase. It fell off its stand. It was lying the same way I was. I remember that the Greek figures painted on it were the only thing that looked upright.

"Then I heard a voice. It was distant and I couldn't really understand it, but everyone started calming down. There was a TV that was used for one of those interactive displays, but then suddenly you were there saying everything was going to be okay. You said that you were coordinating with the city and that Superman was attacking the ship and then you handed things off to Lois Lane. You saved the city." 

You, Lex noted, not Superman. Of course it could still be the general you, but it didn't sound like it. Lex knew that without him the city wouldn't be standing but so often he was painted as the villain, by the news, by public opinion, by Clark, even by himself. Lex had at some point embraced the role. Better to be the villain and keep the hero honest then to cower or worship blindly.

Tim took a slow breath and went on, "After that I read everything I could find. There's an enormous bias against you in the media, but when you look at the facts, you always have a goal that no one else is willing to address. You look at the problems that will only be real problems five or ten years down the line. I think if you'd have been born earlier you'd have solved Global warming before it even became a thing. Preventative maintenance, and no one else sees what you're doing because you're so successful that you cut the problems off in infancy."

Lex had never heard such a romantic view of his own actions. Yes he saw the problems that no one was willing to address. He planned for the worst, but there was always that argument of ends and means that others, even others working for him, struggled with.

Eve stepped forward and put a hand on Tim's shoulder. "I know what you mean." She and Tim both looked up at him, as if that was all there was too it.

Lex turned to Mercy and raised an eyebrow, silently asking her if she agreed. She tipped her head, neutral, she would follow his lead.

"Supervillains don't have sidekicks," Lex said. to be honest he considered the idea of sidekicks in general to be a bit strange. He'd never wanted any kind of apprentice, even now when he had a qualified individual literally standing in front of him.

"You have hundreds of people working for you. This would just be... a different capacity." Tim argued.

"You do realize you could get arrested and end up in jail, not to mention accidentally killed in the crossfire, or kidnapped, maimed, and so on, by someone trying to get to me."

"If my goal was safety I'd have gone to the science camp my parents were trying to send me to," Tim's voice had turned dry.

"He does have a point Lex, you get attacked almost as often in your civilian role as in other roles," Eve put in, "More often some months..."

"You're really taking his side?" That was the part Lex still couldn't quite understand. She and Mercy were always so protective. He'd started using their reactions to gauge how crazy his ideas were, but neither of them were speaking up against this.

"I-- well, yes. I know you have a lot of smart people working for you but most of them aren't really on your side. Tim is. Having another ally in your corner is never a bad thing."

Lex rubbed at his eyes. "Fine, safeguards - trial periods. You can take care of the warehouses. You are not going to engage Superman. Even if I agree to this, you are not ready for that. If you need any information from my private server, then you need myself, Mercy or Eve to approve it."

Tim nodded firmly, "What is the objective?"

"Keep Intergang and any other undesirable parties out of the docks."

"The timeline?"

"An initial plan by tomorrow morning. Full timeline of three weeks, pending further crisis." 

Tim nodded again. "It'll be on your desk by tomorrow."

Lex waited another minute in case there were any last objections, then he turned and sat at his desk. "Eve, what can be salvaged from my schedule?"

They all got to work, and for the moment, Lex let Tim fade to the back of his mind.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No particular reference in this chapter, I just needed Someone to attack the city and a team up with Aquaman seemed like a good thing to throw at Superman.


	3. Superman

 

Tim made a plan for the docks, drawing on one of the many charities Lex supported to put a spotlight on the area. With so much press, the competition all decided it wasn't worth it.

Tim understood that he wasn't ready to face Superman on his own. He simply didn't have the resources that Lex did. Except, there was more to it. As the weeks passed and summer hit the city in earnest, Tim found himself watching Lex. 

No that wasn't accurate, he had been watching Lex for a long time. Lex was the stick against which he measured himself. What he was observing was Lex's relationship with Superman. Anyone with eyes could see that there was more than animosity to their relationship. Lex said all the right things. Things about growth through adversity and not letting aliens dictate the path of humanity but...

Why hadn't he wanted to finish Superman?

In the past Tim had always assumed that Lex was using Superman as a buffer, against the other villains. When Lex was ready to cement his influence and power he would step up and finish them all. That was before Tim had access to his company records. Even without access to Lex's private servers he could see that Lex wasn't really trying...

No, that wasn't right. He was at the edge of technology and industry. Everything he went after, he achieved. He just wasn't trying to take over the world. 

Personally Tim thought that the world would be much better off ruled by Lex Luthor rather than the hive of idiots currently pulling the strings. The fact that heroes and villains had been around for as long as he'd been alive and the laws were only just starting to catch up was proof of that. 

Lex must have had some kind of goal in going after Superman. There had to be some objective that Tim just wasn't seeing. Every day Lex was letting him in a little more. Tim was earning his place, but that one answer eluded him. He could have asked Eve, or even Mercy, but he didn't want to just be handed the answer, so Tim waited, quietly collecting data until the answer fell into his lap.

Tim looked up from what had become his corner of Lex's office when a shadow fell across the room. Superman, red and blue and larger than life, was hovering outside the window. Lex still had his back to the boyscout. His typing hadn't stopped but his expression had turned sour. Tim shifted his computer a few inches to the left so Superman was in full view of the webcam and started recording. He didn't know what he would use the video for yet, but he was sure he'd think of something. As a double precaution he messaged Eve and Mercy.

_ Superman is outside Lex's window. _

_ We are aware. Standby for a quick exit if needed,  _ came the quick reply.

Superman uncrossed his arms when it was clear that Lex wasn't going to give him any attention. He knocked on the glass. Lex's hands curled into claws on his keyboard.

"We need to talk." Superman's voice was muffled but still audible. Tim wondered if Lex was going to stand up. If they would have a whole conversation through the glass. 

Lex's hands had stilled on the edge of his desk, and his face had gone stony. Superman tapped on the glass again, harder this time. 

"Lex," Superman's tone had turned warning.

Odd. Very few people called Lex by his first name. Tim had only learned that once he'd gotten here, after the habit of years of research had cemented the man's name in his own mind. 

Lex interrupted his train of thought by snapping, "I swear to god, if you break that window again I will make you pay. I had a door installed for a reason." He pushed himself to his feet, jabbing at the electronic surface of his desk. An alert came up in the corner of Tim's screen, telling him the roof security had been turned off. Why would Lex do that? It eliminated any breaking and entering charge he could bring against Superman, not to mention putting a dent in any harassment case. 

There was a gust of wind and then Superman was standing in front of Lex's desk, arms crossed again. Lex didn't try to match him in the intimidation game. Instead he looked bored, and annoyed, the fingers of one hand tapping a rhythm on his desk.

"Well? I assume you have a reason for barging in here? Last I checked I hadn't done anything illegal and you don't have the authority to arrest me even if I had."

"What did you do with the Atlanteans?"

Lex raised an eyebrow. "Nothing at all. I don't work with Ocean Master." Lex's tone made it clear that Superman should have known that already.

"Not last week's attack. The dead Atlanteans. They were being kept in a secure wing of the morgue while the paperwork was sorted out. Except now they're gone."

"I'll be sure to give Aquaman my condolences the next time I see him." Lex said with a voice like the Sahara. "Was there anything else?"

"I know you took those bodies Lex. Your men were sloppy."

Lex's fingers slowed to a stop. "How many times have we gone through this song and dance? I'm busy. If you had any real evidence it would be in the hands of the police. Oh wait, illegally obtained evidence isn't admissible in court. Guess you'll have to go to the media than, except if there was actually a story here the Planet would already be printing my name in the headlines."

Tim couldn't see Superman's expression with his back to him, but the smug satisfaction in Lex's eyes said it must have been good.

"Trying to force a confession out of me? Trying to get me to slip up? That's low. I thought even you could do better than that. Now get out, before I call security." Lex half turned, not putting his back to Superman but clearly dismissing him. 

"This isn't done." Superman said. He spun on one heel and headed for the roof door at normal speed.

Lex shook his head once, then tapped his desk, "Mercy you can stand down."

"Yes sir." Her voice answered through the intercom.

Another few taps reengaged the roof security. Only then did Tim relax. Lex ran a hand over his skull and went to pour himself a drink. Glancing down, Tim realized his laptop was still recording. He stopped the feed, then scrolled back through it, checking the video. It was all there. 

He paused on a frame of Superman and Lex facing off. They were standing closer then he'd realized. Lex's body language didn't speak of fear. If anything he was comfortable. It was his territory of course, his office. Even the surprise of Superman's appearance couldn't override that. Or maybe Lex was just used to Superman popping in. Did this happen often? Mercy hadn't seemed worried, cautious maybe, but not worried.  

There was a light knock on the door, and Even entered a moment later. "You have a meeting with the pharmaceuticals team in ten minutes, should I call down and recedule?"

Lex rolled his drink around the bottom of his glass, "No. I'll handle it, but contact Grant and his team. Make sure there everything's on schedule."

"Yes sir."

Lex finished his drink.

"Would you like me to join you in the meeting?" Tim asked in a voice that barely broke the silence of the room. 

Lex glanced in his direction, his tone softened losing the last of the edge it had gained in Superman's presence. "Only if you don't have anything better to do. It's just a progress meeting to talk about the most recent numbers."

Tim nodded. if that was the case... "I guess I'll stay here than." He wanted to go over the video.

Lex nodded, straightened his tie and headed for the door. 

Adjusting the volume, Tim scrolled the video back to the beginning, and watched it all the way through. Normally people were tense when visiting Lex's office, that or overconfident, but not Superman. There were points in the middle where his broad shoulders and imposing posture looked like an affectation. He looked like a mediocre actor getting carried along by the story.

"I thought even you could do better than that." Lex final words to Superman echoed back at Tim.

Oh.

That made a lot more sense. 

Superman was the adversary but, like a chess match, defeating him would end the game. Lex didn't want to stop playing. What he wanted was a better opponent. To put it in a wider context, Superman may have been hindering humanity's advancement, but only if he was left on his own. The constant fights between Superman, really the whole Justice League and all their various rogues, had pushed humanity into a new age. The leaps in technology and medicine were far beyond any previous era. 

Tim wondered if Lex could have managed it on his own. So much of what he had built was focused on Superman, or reverse-engineered from Kryptonian technology. Lex would certainly have gone in a different direction without Superman. Maybe he would have found another opponent worthy of his skill, but maybe not. 

He looked down at the last frame of the video. Lex was standing there, head turned towards the window, face hidden. 

Tim saved the video and got back to work. If this was a game then Lex was the king. Mercy and Eve were Lex's rook and bishop, and Tim would be his knight. Just because the goal wasn't to win didn't mean he wouldn't fight with everything he had. 

  
  
  



	4. Black Death

 

The summer progressed. 

Deathstroke attacked Lex on behalf of the League of assassins. Lex spent four hours negotiating for his life at the knifepoint. Mercy was nearly apoplectic. 

One of the Atlantean bodies disappeared en route to Lex's lab. Lex spent forty minutes on the phone to various people trying to figure out if the Atlantean had come back to life and if so, would he be interested in working for Lex? If not, was he currently planning on killing him, because Lex had just taken advantage of the situation, not caused it.

Lex designed a freeze ray that could counter both Superman's heat vision and his cold breath. Privately Tim was certain the technology was going to revolutionize the cooking industry within five years. Superman knocked the robot that the ray was mounted on into the river. Three hours later Superman was in Lex's office again. 

This time Lex only said, "Lawyers or security." And sat with his arms crossed while Superman tried to lecture him. Mercy entered after five minutes with the head of the Lexcorp Legal department. After that Superman left, red-faced and flustered.  

Lex released a new version of his office software, and for two days the entire building sat staring at their computer trying to figure out the new layout. Lex continuously grumbled that it wasn't that complicated. Privately Tim agreed, but not everyone was up to their standards.

Toyman tried to use an army of rubber ducks to take the mayor hostage. Lex didn't even bother to leave his office for that one.

Lex and Tim slowly learned to work in tandem.

Tim accompanied Lex to a few fundraisers and openings, events that were family friendly. Tim didn't mind being a prop. He'd been a tool for his parents often enough and he worked much better with Lex. The media didn't seem to know what to do with him. Half of them made terrible insinuations about the relationship before Lex's lawyers descended. Others tried to paint Tim as an apprentice. Mostly people thought he was a publicity stunt, something to win favor with one demographic or another. Tim smiled through all of it. He'd been through it all before, if not at this level of scrutiny.

It was the end of August when the black rings fell from the sky and the dead tried to crawl out of their graves.

Tim didn't have any fallen foes, but Lex had plenty of enemies who had died with the desire for revenge.

The first thing Tim saw was an alert flashing in the corner of his screen, an attack from above, the perimeter alarms going off. He glanced up and saw the black rain falling. Lex stood, turning to face the window. Mercy was there a second later.

"It's worldwide. I'm seeing lots of action from the Green Lanterns." 

"Yes this seems to be in their vein," Lex mused. "Any word on Superman?"

"Our reports have him in Smallville."

Lex nodded and turned back to his desk. Mercy and Tim flanked him as Lex pulled up view after view from traffic and security cameras. There weren't as many rings as there had first seemed, three or four every block. The public had ducked under awnings or into buildings but were clearly watching, waiting to see what happened next. Tim was dozens of floors above the nearest ring, but he still heard the word that echoed from them. It rang through his bones sending a chill down his spine.

"RISE."

"Sir the graveyard!" Mercy snapped. Lex flipped through to the proper camera. Sure enough, the dead were pulling themselves out of their graves.

Eve pushed her way into the office, a tablet clutched to her chest. "Lex, I have word from Coast City, something's happening with the monument."

Lex gestured to let her know he'd heard. "The league?"

"Scattered," Mercy reported. At least two Lanterns are in Coast city and we have reports of Wonder Woman in DC. Batman is still in Gotham as far as we know, but the others--"

"Fine," Lex cut her off. "These zombies don't seem to be controlled by anyone.  Eve, call City Hall. If they have a plan, fine. If not, make one. Tim, I want to know where these things are going, what their goals might be, and how to kill them. I'm giving you complete access to the cameras. Mercy, we may need to make a quick exit."

Mercy rolled her eyes as she said,  "The helicopter is prepped and ready. May I suggest you move to the panic room until it comes to that?"

"It doesn't have the right equipment."

Lex bent over his desk again, fingers flying. Tim forced his eyes back to his own system. He had a job to do. 

The black Lanterns were wild, going after a single target first but indiscriminate after that, going after whoever screams the loudest. Everyone who had a weapon tried to use them, but nothing Tim witnessed seemed to do a thing. He jabbed at his keyboard, trying to find anything that could help, when he stumbled on a sight that chilled him to the bone.

Solomon Grundy stepped up onto the cornerstone at 5th and Grant, his white skin radiating black power. His head fell back and he roared at the sky.

"Lex,--" Tim was cut off by the sound of shattering glass. The bulletproof, lead-lined glass shattered in word, in a burst of orange light. Mercy cried out, already moving. The orange light struck Lex. Tim saw his eyes go wide, before he was pulled away, out the window, and into the sky.

Mercy cursed in a language that Tim thought might have been Greek. Then she was turning, sprinting for the door to the roof, and the waiting helicopter. Tim knew it wouldn't do any good. It was a safe assumption that the orange light was connected to the current chaos, and that meant Lex could be anywhere.

Tim put his worries and fears in a box, and focused on figuring out how to stop Solomon Grundy from ripping through Metropolis. 

 

***

 

Superboy opened his eyes as Dubbilex opened his pod. The genomorph gnomes were nervous, but Superboy didn't see any of the usual scientists. In fact, the lab was empty apart from the telepathic Genomorph standing before him

"You are needed," Dubbilex's horns glowed as he spoke into Superboy's mind. 

Images flashed behind his eyes. A black rain falling over a city he had never seen, but knew was Metropolis. Superman was nowhere in sight. People fled in fear or attacked only to be overwhelmed, and the creatures grew. Then a howl rang over the chaos of the city. His perspective changed. Superboy recognized Solomon Grundy from the list of Superman's foes he'd been briefed on. Where the other zombies were almost feral, Grundy was heading through the streets with a purpose. The vision ended before Superboy could see where he was going. 

"I'm ready." Superboy had to clear his throat before his voice would work, but he stood with his feet braced. This was what he had been created for.

Dubbilex nodded, and gestured him forward. 

Superboy hesitated at the door. He had never been outside. He knew what it looked like, but he'd never actually seen it, not with his own eyes. They didn't even let him walk around the complex on his own, keeping him in his solar pod when the scientists weren't testing his reflexes or comprehension.

Where were the scientists now? He looked back at Dubbilex. The Genomorph was humanoid but smaller than an adult, and slight. Technically he was one of the experiments too. 

"Brother?" He asked. His tone was calm, unaffected by the chaos on the streets above.

Superboy hesitated, "Superman, is he…" 

"I do not know."

Superboy nodded. It didn't really matter of course. He had been created to take up the calling if Superman fell... having the chance to meet him... Superboy turned and ran for the elevator.

There were dozens of floors below ground, but only two above ground. The elevator felt like it was going at a snail's pace. When he finally stepped onto the roof, Superboy paused. The Cadmus complex was on the edge of the city. He looked up at the towers touching the sky as the bridges framed them in the distance. He'd never seen the city from this angle before. He'd only ever been shown maps, street-level images or video of flying over the harbor.

This was real. The sound of sirens echoed from the distance. He could smell smoke and exhaust and sun-baked pavement, and the sun... He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, letting the golden light fall over him. His pod had full spectrum illumination, he was at full strength already, and his solar suit only enhanced his natural biology. Still, this was so much better. He wanted to laugh. He felt like he could fly, even though he didn't actually have that power.

Superboy grinned and leaped forward towards the city in a single bound.

 

***

 

Tim felt the building shake, grabbing onto the wall as Eve pressed a hand to the scanner for the panic room. Tim wasn't really sure how to react. It wasn't that he was frozen in fear, but none of his research or experiences had prepared him for this. If Lex was here Tim could follow his lead, or Mercy's. Eve wasn't any help on that front. She'd tried three times before she'd managed to open the panel to the palm-scanner.

The door to the panic room started to slide open, then there was a groan and all the lights went out. There was plenty of light coming in through the broken window, but Eve still screamed. There were only seconds to decide a course of action. The panic room, the roof or the stairs? The building shuddered again. If it came down, the panic room was useless, and they were on too high a floor for the stairs to do them much good.

Tim grabbed Eve's hand and ran for the roof door. The rooftop garden had several raised flower boxes. The helicopter pad was at the far end, but Mercy had already taken off, leaving an empty stretch of pavement. A handful of abstract statues that could shoot lasers (heat or kryptonite) when activated rimmed the perimeter. Tim had no idea if they would be effective against these dead things, but he figured there was a chance he'd get to find out soon. Their distance above the ground could only protect them for so long.

Eve collapsed onto a bench, her hand at her neck and the panic button he knew she had there. With both Mercy and Lex gone, he wasn't sure who might answer. At this point he'd take pretty much anyone, even the Justice League.

A roar sounded over the whipping wind. Tim had his tablet up almost before it ended, keying in a shortcut to arm the lasers. Around the roof they shifted, powering up.

"Luther," The cry came again, this time loud enough to understand. "Luther Lie To Grundy. Luther Pay"

Tim swallowed, eyes dancing around the roof. The building was shaking regularly and his tablet was helpfully showing Grundy climbing the outside of it, smashing windows as he went. Maybe the safe room wasn't such a bad idea after all. Tim's mind was racing trying to come up with everything he had ever read about Grundy, but it wasn't enough. He didn't know what Lex might have lied about or if Grundy could be reasoned with this time.

A gray hand grabbed the edge of the roof, cracking the concrete. Tim's hand came down on his tablet. Eve gasped, stumbling back. Grundy came over the edge of the roof and the lasers hit him full force, green and red beams lighting up like Christmas. Grundy howled. He was getting pushed back. The edge of the roof gave way under one of his hands. 

Tim tapped at the controls, trying to eke out a little more power. Grundy slipped back another inch, then he started to glow. A rotten black aura ripped out from his free hand. His eyes, which had been covered in cataracts, drank in the darkness, and he roared. Suddenly the lasers weren't enough. Grundy had his arm raised, pushing back against them, as he mounted the railing. He forced his way towards the nearest laser and closed his overly large hand on the muzzle, twisting it into scrap metal. The laser sputtered, started sparking, and Tim cut the power before it could explode, and blow them all to kingdom come. 

Eve screamed again, falling back into one of the flower boxes. Tim forced himself not to echo her. He could do this. Lex may not be here but he could do this. He knew the defenses. He knew the system. He knew the building. He wasn't going to die here, and he wasn't going to let Eve die either.

Grundy turned, zeroing in on the two of them. Tim met his dark eyes and ran a hand over his tablet again.

The lasers shifted from a solid beam to a rapid fire stream of bolts. Grundy brought up a hand to shield his face, but he was still moving forward.

Tim nudged Eve with his foot. It was time for a strategic retreat. Eve managed to stand, wobbling on her heels.

"Inside," Tim said without taking his eyes off Grundy. The dead man didn't seem to be taking any damage, his mouth stretching into a rictus grin that could only technically be called a smile.

Eve moved. Grundy reacted like a bull to a red flag. He roared, pushing forward, ignoring the lasers. Tim took a step back. Stumbled. Fear lanced up, and he shoved it down.

Grundy raised an overlarge hand-- and was bowled over by a figure in white.

Tim blinked, tracing the path of the brawl as the two figures rolled out onto the helicopter pad. In addition to the white bodysuit, the new figure had short dark hair and was hitting Grundy as hard as Grundy was hitting him. He was only a teenager, but Tim was hardly one to throw stones in that department. More importantly there was a red S emblazoned across his chest.

Tim scrambled for his tablet. He switched off the kryptonite, replacing it with full-spectrum condensed yellow sunlight. The lasers cycled through their new programming and charged up, refocusing on their designated target.

Both fighters flinched as the lasers found their mark. The Super...boy recovered first, grinning. Grundy looked up just in time to get a fist to the face.

Tim watched the back and forth for another thirty seconds before he saw the key to it. Grundy could shake off the earlier lasers but he wasn't recovering as quickly from the yellow bolts. Superboy wasn't giving him the time to get away or regroup. Energy was rippling out of the black ring on his right hand, trying to compensate.

"Superboy, the ring!"

Superboy, looked up and Grundy grabbed his arm, throwing him over his shoulder. Tim expected him to recover in mid-air like Superman so often did. Instead, he crashed into one of the flower boxes, sending soil flying and on towards the edge..

Tim danced to one side. Eve had retreated to the doorway watching for his signal.

Superboy tumbled towards the edge of the roof, snatching at the railing just before he went over. The potential fall didn't seem to faze him. Grundy took a step, making the building shake. It was enough for Tim to refocus.

He cranked the lasers up as high and bright as they would go, shouting over the wind. "The light is weakening him, destroy the ring."

Superboy, launched himself back into the fight, ignoring the blasts of light as he knocked Grundy's feet out from under him and pinned his arm to the ground.

Superboy screamed as he grabbed the ring, but he didn't let go. Tim's knuckles were white on his tablet, breath caught in his throat.

The tearing of flesh and old cloth sounded over the wind. Tim saw two of Grundy's fingers detach before Superboy closed his fist and screamed again. Grundy moaned and went limp, slumping fully to the ground.

Tim eased back the power on the lasers, his eyes dancing between Superboy and Grundy. He would have been concerned that Superboy just ripped his hand off if Grundy hadn't started out as a walking corpse. None of his instruments could tell if Grundy was alive, but that could have been normal. Superboy on the other hand...

Superboy was breathing heavily. He got to his feet and opened his hand, letting the shards of black crystal fall to the wind. For the first time Time was able to properly study his features. He resembled Superman, like all family members did. The same chin, the same cheekbones. His eyes were different, a darker blue, like a deep lake rather than the summer sky. He was handsome, but more than that he was a puzzle. Tim had a million questions, starting with where he came from and running the gambit through what his suit was made of. They would have to wait.

Superboy looked back at Tim, and frowned. "Are-- are you okay?"

Tim nodded even as he wondered about the hesitation. "We're okay, but the city isn't."

Superboy glanced over the edge, squinting down at the streets. His frown grew a few shades darker.

"They're weak against light, that should be enough for you to get people to safety. I'll do what I can from here."

Superboy nodded, and turned running for the edge of the roof, and away.

Tim watched for a second longer, then checked his tablet. The security for the roof was still fully active, that meant the whole thing was on camera. Tim found the appropriate footage and saved it to Lex's private server, erasing the original.

Tim spun on his heal, "Eve, Does Lex have any light based weapons in his arsenal?"

"Uh, yes, I think so."

"We need them, and get in touch with the police, City Hall, anyone you think will listen. I'm going to draft a release on these things weaknesses."

Eve hesitated for only a moment, "The Dailly Planet?"

"Them too. There's no point in running a broken world, after all." Tim marched past her into Lex's office. Until Lex either came back or was declared dead, he was going to do everything he could in his absence.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Black Lanterns are from the Blackest Night Comic story line. In that story Lex gets pulled into the fight, and temporarily given an Orange Power ring. I'm can't remember where Grundy was during all that, but he's now in Metropolis.


	5. Family

 

Superboy stood on the roof of the Daily Planet and looked out over the city. He'd thought about going back to Cadmus, but why? It had been the early hours of the morning before the lanterns had fallen. Then he'd spent the rest of the night rescuing people who had been trapped, and rounding up looters. Then the dawn had come, the first sunrise he had ever seen. Metropolis was officially putting itself back together. It was everything he'd been training for. He tilted his head back and let the sunshine hit his face.

"Hi."

Superboy opened his eyes and turned to look at the girl hovering in the air. She had blond hair and a red and blue costume with the S shield displayed across her chest. Her cape was billowing out behind her. Supergirl. He didn't know much about her, since she was relatively new to the hero scene. She mostly worked in National City, and had given one interview saying she was Superman's cousin.

Superboy stepped up onto the edge of the roof. "Hi." He wasn't sure what else to say. His mission to replace Superman had always assumed that Supergirl would have been taken out at the same time. She drifted closer, landing lightly on the roof with him.

"I'm Kara. I can't help but notice..." She sketched an S in the air over his chest.

"I'm Superboy," he shrugged.

Supergirl, Kara, tipped her head to one side, "Yeah, I saw the bulletins. You've been protecting the city. Thank you for that, by the way."

Superboy nodded, and looked out at the city again, "It's what I was made for."

"Right, about that. See, I know for a fact that Kal doesn't have any siblings, and if you were born on Krypton you'd probably know your own house symbol so... When you say 'made for'..."

"I'm superman's clone." He'd never been instructed to hide it, though he had been warned that some people might not trust him because of it.

She ran a hand through her hair, "I was afraid it was something like that. Look, would you be willing to come with me to meet Superman? He should be getting done with the League pretty soon. We can get pizza and talk everything out."

"Yeah, okay." Superboy agreed. So Superman was alive, and he'd get to meet him properly. He squared his shoulders and turned to follow Supergirl as she lifted off again.

 

***

 

The media called it the blackest night, 7 hours of fighting across the globe culminating in a battle in Coast City that looped in the whole of the JLA and more than a few part-timers.

Tim stayed in Lex's office, coordinating the efforts of LexCorp security with the national guard. Eventually a wave of white light rolled over the city, and the dead collapsed in on themselves, the rings shattering.

Tim and Eve wait for another eleven and a half hours before Mercy carried Lex through the roof door, helping him onto the couch. Lex raised a shaking hand, to show he was alive and awake.  

"Are you hurt?" Eve asked, glancing between Mercy and Lex.

"Just a bit fatigued," Lex managed to say in almost a normal tone.

"The green lantern Guardians kidnapped him and stuck an orange ring on him." Mercy was furious and not trying to hide it. 

Lex waved a hand at her, "It's fine. How were things here?"

Tim stepped in and summarized the events. Eve gave her own summary when he was done. Lex skimmed through the footage of the fight with Superboy and the Planet's news alerts. The adrenaline of Lex's return was just starting to fade when Tim's phone rang. The number was for Mr. Emerson, his parent's attorney. He sat down beside Lex, not quite touching as he answered.

"Tim Drake?" asked a slower masculine voice.

"This is me."

On the other end the man took a breath, "I'm sorry to inform you that during the events of yesterday your parents were killed. You appear to be their sole heir..." The man went on, but all Tim could hear was static. Someone eventually noticed, because the phone was taken from his hand. Someone was talking, Eve maybe, then Lex. Tim couldn't understand them either. The whole world was just blobs of color. Something wet hit his hand and Tim looked down. Tears, he was crying. He never cried. He was in control, always. He wasn't even close to his parents. They flitted in and out of his life, treating him as much like a pet as a son.  No, they had treated -- past tense.

Someone laid a hand on his shoulder. Tim looked up and managed to piece together Lex's features. He looked strange, hurt, even more then when Mercy had half carried him inside.

"Tim?" His voice was so soft.

Tim gulped in air. "I didn't--" Tim didn't know what he was protesting.

Lex nodded, "I know." He awkwardly draped his arm around Tim. Tim took the invitation, slumping into Lex's side, burying his face in Lex's jacket. He let go, shuddering through the tears and the aftermath of fear and loss. Lex didn't try to push him away. His sense of time escaped for a while. When his tears had run out and he came back to himself, he was resting with his head in Lex's lap. Lex, for his part, still seemed a bit bewildered.

"Can I stay with you?"

"Of course," Lex nodded. "For as long as you need to get everything settled."

Tim took a shaky breath, "No, I mean, I--" He swallowed, rubbed a hand across his face, and pushed himself up to a sitting position. "I don't have anyone else. No other family. I think one of the people in my Dad's company was supposed to look after me if anything--" His throat closed up and Tim had to take several deep breaths before he could talk again. "I want to stay with you."

Lex nodded. He looked more bewildered than angry or frustrated.

"For as long as you want,"Lex said.

Tim nodded and closed his eyes again. Lex was back, so he could rest. Lex would take care of things.

 

***

 

"Okay I have a couple questions to get us started. What's your name? What are your powers? Who created you? That kind of thing." Kara said. She was leaning against a picnic table that had been brought up to the roof of an apartment building on the outskirts of Metropolis. There was a circle of lawn chairs next to it. Superman had flipped his cape to one side and sunk into one of them almost gratefully. Superboy wasn't sure if he should sit. Was this supposed to be casual, or more like a report to a superior?

He glanced from Supergirl to Superman. The former seemed to sense his tension. She waved at the chairs. He sat gingerly, keeping his back straight, just in case.

"My name is Superboy. With the aid of this--"

"Whoa, hold on," Supergirl said, waving her hands, "Superboy is not a proper name. I mean yeah it's a good hero name, but we're not on the clock. Right now I'm just Kara and he's just Kal. What about you. If you want to keep it a secret I'll understand, but you'll probably end up with a nickname."

Superboy just blinked at her. "The scientists only ever called me Superboy or Project KR. Dubbilex called me Brother sometimes..." He looked at her, helpless from his lack of an answer.

"Would you like us to give you one?"

Superboy considered for a moment, then nodded. Superman only glanced at him, but Kara stood up and stepped closer, considering.

"How about Kon? there's a Kryptonian fairytale about Kal and Kon," She offered.

"There is? I've never heard that story."

Superboy held back his answer at Superman's remark. Supergirl shrugged.

"I'm not surprised, there was only so much room in your pod's database. The story is kind of like a cross between Hansel and Gretel, and the three billy goats story. Kal is supposed to be really clever, and finds a way out of the forest, but he gets caught right at the edge, except his brother Kon was behind him and manages to fight their way free."

"Kon," Superboy tried it out, rolling the word over his tongue.

"Kon-El" Kara gently corrected. Superboy - Kon - nodded. Superman just tilted his head back in his chair looking up at the sky.

"Well it's nice to meet you Kon. Now, you said you were a clone of my cousin. Both of us got our powers in stages, and you jumped over here rather than fly, so..." She trailed off.

"This suit helps me absorb solar radiation. So far I have advanced strength, speed, and senses. The scientists predicted that heat vision would be next. I-- I can't fly yet." He looked down at his hands, cupped in his lap. Would they want him if he couldn't fly? So far he'd managed by jumping, but what if he was just broken? What if he'd never learn to fly and they knew it?

"Okay, That's not a problem. I wasn't able to fly for years after I got here. What about you Kal?"

Superman cleared his throat, "I was in my early twenties."

"Sounds like you're ahead of schedule. That suit must be amazing."

Kon let some of the tension ease out of his shoulders.

"What about the rest of it?" Superman's voice was even, but it didn't take much to get Superboy's attention.

"I am the Superboy. A Genomorph. A clone made from the DNA of the Superman. I was created to replace him should he perrish, to destroy him should he turn from the light." The mantra rolled off his tongue by rote. It was the one thing he was absolutely certain of. The one thing everyone, scientists and Dubbilex and assistants all agreed on. Superman's eyes had gone wide, then his expression hardened.

"Well, wanting to be a hero is a good goal..." Kara trailed off rubbing at the back of her neck.

"Please tell me you're joking." Superman said, ignoring Kara's comment.

Kon slowly shook his head. Supergirl pointedly cleared her throat, and gave Superman a look.

Superman ducked his head. "I am way too young to be a dad," he muttered. He wasn't looking at Superboy, eyes darting over the city instead.

Supergirl snorted. "Okay first, plenty of people have kids at your age. Second, he's technically your younger brother, not your son." 

Superman gave her a look that combined exasperation and pleading. "Kara--"

"What? Why are you having so much trouble with this? Over half the population of Krypton was genetically engineered in some way. It's not like he's trying to kill you like that clone of me, and he just spent that last day protecting Metropolis while you were busy with the league."

"I know all that, it's just-- I can't--" Superman glanced at him, then away.

"If you say something along the lines of 'Deal with this,' I will blow you off this roof." Kara held up a warning hand.

"Kara--"

"No, Clark." Superman flinched and glanced at Superboy, but Kara ignored him and went on. "Don't get me wrong I love my family but you don't know how hard it was those first few months, and that's with them knowing my background. I at least had some idea of who I was. I remembered my family, my culture. I had something to fall back on. He..." She glanced back to Superboy, her expression almost sad. "I'm sorry, but the way you talk, and your story, it's a lot like some of the aliens I've met. You don't know how to blend in, how to be human, and that really makes a difference. If you're alienated because people think you're strange, and you don't have anything to fall back on..." She ducked her head, her fists clenched on her knees, and her hair shadowing her face.

Kon wasn't sure how to react. He'd only spoken with a handful of people outside of Cadmus. The boy on the roof with Grundy, a few paramedics and people he was rescuing, and now Kara and Superman. So far, this was the longest conversation of his life. If Kara thought his speech was strange then she probably wasn't wrong.

Superman was watching Kara. He stood and crossed to put a hand on her shoulder. She waved him away, looking up at the sky and blinking. She took a breath and nodded, her smile coming back.

"He won't be abandoned." Superman said, and then seemed to realize that Kon was sitting right there. "I'll find a place for you. I-- my mom is--"

Supergirl punched his shoulder. Given the speed of it, and the way the wind was disturbed Kon didn't think she had held back either. 

Superman rubbed his shoulder, "What?"

"No sending him to Smallville. You can't just dump this on your mom. She's not young anymore, you know she rented out most of the land. You haven't even asked her. I swear Clark, sometimes it's hard to tell who was raised the alien and who wasn't."

"I'm not-- Kara..."

She put her hands on her hips and frowned at Superman. He shifted in his seat, and glanced back a Kon. For the first time since he'd arrived, Superman actually looked at him, steadily without flinching or looking away.

"I probably won't be a good, mentor, or role model or whatever you want from me. I'm not very good at letting people in." 

It took a minute for Kon to realize he was supposed to answer. "I-I don't mind."

"You might regret that." Superman was smiling, but somehow he still looked sad.

Kara clapped her hands, "Right, I'm glad that's sorted out. You can stay in Clark's spare bedroom. I need to get back to National City, but I can drop in this weekend to help you get settled, take you shopping, get you a proper ID all that."

"Thank you." Superboy wasn't sure if he was supposed to shake her hand or what. He stood up, shifting from foot to foot. She stepped forward, and wrapped her arms around him. He froze, then slowly relaxed, hugging her back. When she pulled back she was smiling. 

"See you later Kon." She lifted off the roof, turned North, and a second later was gone.

Superman pushed himself to his feet. "Well I guess it's just us."

Kon looked up at Superman and nodded. 

Superman scratched at the back of his neck. "Well, umm, are you hungry?"

Kon shrugged, and nodded. He hadn't left Cadmus with any money so he hadn't exactly been able to buy anything. He could survive for a while with just sunlight, but yes, food would be good.

Superman nodded, and looked out over the city again. "Okay. Okay, I guess I'll show you the place, and we can order something. Come on." Instead of taking off, Superman headed for the door into the building. He squinted at it, then at the floor, as he opened the door. Kon followed him into the building where he would apparently be living from now on.

  
  



	6. A Day In The Life

Tim woke in a bed that didn't feel like his own, yet. He wandered into a kitchen where he didn't know where to find everything. Lex was sitting in the breakfast nook, coffee at his elbow, still sleep-rumpled, and frowning at the morning paper. The tension in Tim's chest eased. Everything would be okay. He just needed to give it a little time

\--

Kon lay in the spare bed in Superman's apartment, staring at the ceiling. When he finally heard movement outside he got up and opened the door. Superman was putting on a pot of coffee, dressed in a flannel robe and yawning. He settled into a chair, by an east-facing window, turning towards the sun and letting his eyes close. Kon stepped up beside him, feeling the dawn wash over him. His second sunrise. He wanted to feel hundreds more.

\--

Tim unpacked the clothing Lex had had retrieved from Tim's old home. He was used to living out of bags, and moving from place to place every six months, but this time was different. This time he was planning on staying. He lay out clothes for the day, and neatly folded the rest into his dresser. Not everything was here, but he could pick up the rest of his things as he needed them. There wasn't any pain associated with his parents' apartment. They hadn't been there for months. The empty spaces would be in the weekly phone calls, and a lack of updates to his mom's twitter.

When he came out, Mercy was standing next to Lex.

"Are you ready to get going?"

Tim nodded. He could do this. it was just like any other day at the office. They would help with the cleanup, go to meetings... It was normal. He could do this.

\--

Kon looked down at his solar suit, "What's wrong with it?"

Superman, Clark-- he was supposed to call him Clark when he wasn't in uniform, ran a hand through his hair. "Well it's not exactly subtle. Look, just trust me okay? If you're going to shadow me today then you need to wear something--" Clark waved a hand, "else, something normal."

"I don't have anything else."

"Right, okay, yeah." He looked around, then back at Kon. "Maybe... We can get you something later, but I think you'd fit into some of my old stuff. Hang on." Clark turned to his closet and pushed aside the shirts, to get to the back. He grabbed a plastic bin and brought it over to the bed. After a few minutes of shuffling Clark offered up a pair of jeans and a faded black t-shirt.

"See if these fit."

Kon started stripping down and Clark jerked his head away.

The clothes fit him well enough, though Kon kept scratching at the seams. As a last touch Clark handed him a pair of glasses.

"I don't need glasses."

Clark shrugged, "Neither do I, but but they change the way people look at your face. Consider it part of the mask."

Kon shrugged and put them on. He caught sight of himself in the hall mirror as they headed for the door. He didn't look like a superhero. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

\--  

Tim strode into the the LexCorp offices two steps behind Lex, Mercy covering them. Eve met them in one of the private conference rooms, where they would be working until the glass in Lex's office had been fixed.

"You have your usual ten o'clock appointment, a call with the governor at 11 and two meetings this afternoon," Eve said, as if it was any other day, "And the forms you requested are waiting for you."

Lex nodded, and sat. Tim took a spot across the table from him, pulling up his own projects.

Lex cleared his throat, "Tim?"

Tim looked up, tilting his head slightly in question.

Lex spun his computer around for Tim to read the screen. His eyes skimmed over the document, then Tim stopped. He scrolled back up and read from the beginning, slower this time. Eventually he looked up at Lex.

Lex had his hands folded on the table in front of him, watching Tim intently. "I realize you were emotionally compromised yesterday. Is this still what you want?"

Tim's throat had closed up. The Guardianship papers were all filled out. They just needed Lex's signature, his own, and to be properly filed.

"You can of course send them to whoever you like for review, and it does not give me any kind of access beyond the basics needed for your care. If you agree, all your parent's assets will be held in trust for you until you turn 18. I am open to any changes you would like to request..."

Lex was babbling. It was very formal babbling that anyone who didn't know him would have taken for casual conversation, but normally he didn't fill the silence like that.

Tim tapped at the screen, copying his electronic signature onto the document. Lex had stopped talking.

"I still want to stay with you. I like you, I--" Tim looked at the document. He was on the wrong side of the table to hug Lex, and neither of them were really that kind of person anyway, but this was... "Thank you."

Lex cleared his throat, "Yes, well, You've impressed me, and very few people in my life are actually up to my standards." Lex took his computer back, adding his own signature as if it was nothing. Tim felt a smile growing on his face as he got back to work.

\--

Kon stepped off the bus two blocks from the Daily Planet. Clark had said public transportation was part of the experience, but Kon wasn't sure he understood what he meant. Clark hadn't used his powers even once that morning that Kon could tell. He'd given up his seat to a woman, and bumbled along with the rest of the crowd.

Even now Clark was hefting his shoulder back a bit higher and waving to a man selling papers on the corner.

"What are we doing here?" Kon asked, looking around for the crime they would be stopping.

"Well, I work here," Clark said, pushing open the doors to the paper. He nodded to a secretary behind a desk and made for the elevator. "And since you're shadowing me, you work here too. I'll get you a visitor's badge."

A woman stuck her hand in the elevator door as it was closing, stepping in to join them. Kon recognized her dark hair and confident smile from the news.

"Hey Smallville," She glanced at Kon, then did a double take.

Clark rubbed at his neck, "Umm, this is Kon, er, my cousin. He's going to be staying with me since everything the last few days..." He waved a hand.

"Huh, I guess that explains the resemblance. Nice to meet you Conner. I'm Lois Lane." The elevator doors opened onto a bullpen full of ringing phones, people talking and various news shows silently on TVs over one wall.

From across the room someone yelled "Kent!" and beside Kon (Conner?) Clark flinched. He glanced at Kon, then at Lois.

"Go on Smallville, you don't want to keep Parry waiting. I'll look after the mini-me while you're gone."

Clark looked like he wanted to say something, but Parry called again and he nodded.

Kon watched him go, then turned to Lois. At Cadmus he had been telepathically taught thousands of facts about hundreds of subjects. Everything from fighting techniques to medical knowledge to political history, but he had no frame of reference on what to do next.

Lois bumped his shoulder, "Come on, our desks our this way. I'll teach you how to fact check."

Kon dutifully followed her lead.

\--

Mercy walked in at 9:58 and waited silently behind Lex's shoulder. He finished the sentence he was typing and came back to himself gesturing her to take a seat. Tim glanced at his watch, then closed his laptop and started to stand. He'd been a part of a few of these meetings, but only by invitation. Lex had already given more than he'd asked for, he wouldn't push it. 

"No, stay." Lex said, motioning for him to sit back down. "I want to hear your take on what happened two days ago. I've seen the footage of course and you handled yourself well..." Lex trailed off, considered him.

Tim glanced up as Mercy entered, grateful for the extra seconds to think. "I--" Finding out his parents were dead had overshadowed things but... "I want to know more about the Superboy. Going over the footage, he does seem to have at least some level of weakness to kryptonite. His fighting style was rough, but he was powerful enough to take down Grundy. I've looked through the records and there's nothing on him before two days ago. Well, there are a few sightings of a Superboy years ago but--"

Lex waved that away. "If you found them in my files then they weren't him. I've been monitoring Superman long before he came into the public eye."

Tim licked his lips. He had a hunch that he hadn't dared ask about before now, but after everything... "You know Superman's secret identity, don't you?"

Lex leaned back in his chair, "What makes you think he even has one? He doesn't wear a mask."

"He's not active enough to justify a full day of heroing. Even if he spent most of his time at his fortress or with the JLA, there would be signs of him traveling, flight trails and so on. My guess is that he lives here in Metropolis with some kind of secret identity, to protect him."

Lex nodded slowly, "Sound logic. Yes, I do know his identity, but he doesn't know that I know."

Tim nodded. If Lex wanted to tell him, he would.

"What else?" Lex asked after the silence had stretched.

Tim considered. "Well, for next time, I need to be better prepared. If we hadn't been on this floor of this building I would have been as vulnerable as anyone."

"You handled yourself well, and I can assign a security detail--" Mercy said, but Tim shook his head.

"A security detail wouldn't have helped. I'd like access to your archives. I can put something together myself if need be, but--"

"No I see your point," Lex stepped in, "I've used a few battle suits and power-rifles in my day. I'm sure we can come up with something." He turned to Eve, "My afternoon meetings, is there anything there that's urgent?"

"Nothing that can't be postponed."

Lex nodded, "Fine, clear my afternoon. I'll show Tim the lab."

Tim had to hide his hands under the table so no one could see how they shook with excitement.

 

\--

 

Conner looked up as Clark slumped into his chair. In that moment he looked nothing like Superman, then he straightened and Conner caught a glimpse of the hero in the tilt of his shoulders, the way his hair curled away from his face.

"Sorry about that," Clark said. "My boss had some questions about my last article. Lois hasn't terrorized you yet, has she?"

"She taught me how to fact check an article. Did you know that the population of Coney Island is just under 25,000?" 

Clark blinked a few times, "I didn't know that." He settled back in his chair, "Fact checking is a good skill to have though, just don't let Lois push all her work off on you." Lois threw a pen at Clark over the top of the partition separating their desks. Clark actually let it hit him, catching it as it bounced off his chest and dropping it in a cup with a bunch of other pens and highlighters. 

Conner glanced at the window, then back to Clark. "Is this really what you do all day?"

Clark shrugged, "No, not all day. I have a pretty flexible schedule between running down leads and finding stories, but I'm here about a third of the time."

"But," Conner shifted in his seat, "Metropolis..."

"What, too much of a city for you mini-Smallville?" Lois asked, sticking her head over the partition.

"No, it's not that. I've never even been to Smallville--"

"Not the point--"

"Did you need something, Lois?" Clark cut them both off.

"Yeah, how do you spell precipitation?"

Clark dutifully spelled it out for her. Conner found his eyes drifting back to the city outside the window. He only looked up when Clark clapped him on his shoulder.

"Come on, Let's go get lunch. I'll show you the neighborhood." 

Conner nodded mutely, and followed Clark to the elevator.

 

\--

 

Tim tried to wait patiently, but every time Lex shifted in his seat or started to stand, his heart beat double time. Eventually Mercy pointedly brought in a platter of sandwiches. Some time after that Lex leaned back in his chair and stretched.

"Well?"

Tim nodded and closed his laptop, barely remembering to save his progress. Lex smiled and motioned for Tim to follow him.

Lex headed for the elevator, pressing the button for the basement parking. So the lab wasn't on site then, Tim had wondered. There were plenty of ways to hide a place like a lab, but LexCorp tower was attacked fairly regularly. It made sense to keep the most incriminating material off-site. Except instead of heading for one of his cars, Lex opened the door to an electrical closet beside the elevator.

The space was barely big enough for one person, let alone Lex, Tim, and Mercy, (Eve had elected to stay behind). Lex put his hand on the control panel, and it lit up clearly reading his bio-metrics. A second later the wall slid aside revealing a comfortable tunnel, and fifty feet away, a door.

"Technically the lab is across the street, but I own that building as well, through a few shell companies. Here," Lex paused to let himself be scanned (a full body scan this time) and opened the second door so Tim could take a look.

The laboratory was laid out with several workstations and a heavy vault door at the far end. Tim spotted a welding station, a fabrication platform, and an electrical station at a glance. Computer terminals were set up on one side, with large monitors that were already booting up. There were several tables lined up in the center of the room, they were clearly mobile and also clearly in use. One had a collection of wires hooked up to a lead box. Another had a strange plant in a glass jar. The overhead lights were faintly green, like sun through summer leaves.

Tim glanced up, "Is that..?"

"Kryptonite? No. I learned that lesson, it does provide a nice psychological deterrent though. Superman knows better than to trust anything green around me." Lex strode into the room, tapping a few keys on one of the computers. "Now, you said you wanted to build yourself some defenses. Why don't you look through my old projects while I add you to the security?"

Tim didn't even try to stop the smile that spread over his features as he sat down and started exploring.

 

\--

 

Kon took a bite of the hot-dog Clark handed him without pausing to consider what might actually be in it. He was Kryptonian, if a human could eat it, he could certainly survive it. A second later he stopped and actually looked at what he was eating. It was a hotdog, he knew that much, but that was because of the psychic education. It was maybe the fourth real thing he had eaten. There was yellow stuff and red stuff and some kind of pale green stuff on it. 

He turned to Clark, "What's this?"

Clark glanced at where he was pointing, "Relish."

"And mustard and ketchup?"

"Yep."

Conner considered the hotdog again, and took another bite. There was a richness to the flavors that rolled over his tongue, savory and tangy and sharp. It was good. He'd never thought food would be something he'd enjoy back in Cadmus, but this was good, so much better than intravenous nutrition. He shoved the last bite in his mouth and closed his eyes, so he heard rather than saw the sirens.

Three blocks north, one east. Fire truck, not police. Conner turned in that direction, narrowing his eyes. He only had infrared vision so far, not full X-ray, but it was enough to see a building five blocks away. There was an abnormal heat signature on the third floor.

"There's a fire." Conner took a step and Clark's hand landed on his shoulder.

"Wait."

"There's a fire!" Conner repeated.

"I know, but the fire department is on it."

Conner ripped his shoulder away, "So you're not going to do anything?"

Clark squinted in the appropriate direction, "The danger is minimal." He sighed and looked back at Conner. "Come with me."

They walked in the direction of the fire, terribly slowly and not helping anyone. "Superman can do a lot, but he can't be everywhere at once."

Conner wrinkled his nose at Clark's use of the third person.

"It was a hard lesson to learn, but what if Superman was busy with a fire and there was a huge earthquake in California? Should he just leave, to go after the more urgent danger? That would leave everyone at the fire to deal without him. They would think he abandoned them. The truth is that there are many heroes who could help with the fire, but not many who could help with a larger scale crisis."

They stopped and Clark gestured at the firefighters quickly and efficiently doing their jobs. There was smoke billowing out of the third floor windows, but no visible fire and when Conner scanned the higher floors, he couldn't pick out any human heat signatures. The fire hadn't spread very far yet.

"See, they have a whole team of heroes helping already. These people don't need Superman."

Conner looked at Clark in his glasses and flannel, then back at the uniformed firefighters. He'd been briefed on what to expect when working with emergency personnel, but not on them, as a separate entity. As far as he could tell they were doing a good job, but he only had two days practical experience. It was true that this was what they were trained for. They might not have powers but there was no other powered force in the area.

"So you just… keep an eye on things?" Conner still wasn't sure he really believed it.

Clark nodded, "Superman and the league, yes. I keep an eye on things as a reporter." Clark smiled, and reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone, sent off a quick text and stepped forward towards the crowd of people watching. "Do you know what happened here?" he asked the first person who met his eye. Conner trailed behind him as Clark wove through the civilians, collecting information.

 

\--

 

Tim looked up as one of the screens started blinking. They'd been in the lab for a few hours now and Lex had settled into his own project, letting Tim learn the system. Now Lex looked up, wheeling his chair over to the appropriate display.

"What's that?" Tim asked, moving to join him.

The screen first showed a satellite view of a building on the edge of downtown. Lex pulled up the traffic cameras in the area zeroing in on what had caused the alert.

"This system is dedicated to tracking Superman. In this case, it picked up the 911 call and there he is, Clark Kent."

"The reporter?"

Lex shrugged, "That's his day job. Try picturing him without the glasses."

Tim looked back at the screen. "Wait. Is he really Superman?" Tim asked a second later.

"He really is."

"Glasses?"

Lex nodded sagely. They shared a commiserating glance at the absurdity of it. They watched Kent move through the crowd for a silent minute, before Tim stiffened.

"There," he jabbed a finger at the screen. "Him, can you--"

Lex was already pausing the footage, zeroing in on the figure Tim had indicated. The dark hair was unkempt, the clothing worn and ill-fitting, but the features matched. Superboy stood a few paces behind Kent, frowning with his hands in his pockets. 

"Superboy."

Lex hummed a response, "Well this proves he's not some impostor with a similar skill set." He let the video start playing again, shifting to a different monitor as he pulled up several search terms. "No sign of an alias yet, but that's not surprising given the timeline."

Tim's eyes were still fixed on Superboy. "What do we do now?" His mind was racing. Superman might be off limits, but this was a new factor in the equation, a new piece in the game. Tim had spent plenty of hours coming up with plans to get rid of Superman, and from what he knew, they would work on Superboy as well. They would have to wait until Superman was distracted, or... 

Something clenched in his chest. Superboy had saved him before. Not that Tim had needed saving, but facing Grundy would have been a lot harder without him. It didn't seem right to repay that by killing him. Tim could do it if needed, but...

"We watch. There's a chance that this is some time travel double or that he's Daxamite rather than Kryptonian." Lex waved a hand. "Even if he's the real thing, there's a chance he'll settle somewhere else like Supergirl did."

Tim nodded. That was fine. He was good at gathering information. 

 

\--

 

Conner settled onto Clark's couch. He hadn't expected to be tired at the end of a relatively calm day, but his mind was racing. 

Following Clark through his work day and the fire had led into a patrol where Superman took point. There were different areas of the city that were higher risk. There were different levels of action required depending on the violence of the situation. For all his training, Conner felt like he knew nothing about actually being a hero.

Clark tossed him a soda, a half-smile on his face. Was that smile for him? Had he earned it or was it just because he was a fumbling kid? Conner opened the soda and brown fizz exploded over his hand.

"Ahh, no, no." Conner held up the soda trying to stop the liquid from getting on the couch.

Clark laughed. "Here," He tossed over a hand towel. Conner had to catch it with his off hand, but at least he managed not to fumble it. Clark's laughter petered off as Conner cleaned himself up.

"You know--"

Conner looked up, wondering if there was an end to that sentence. 

"I still think I'd be terrible at, well, all this, but well, If you want to stay with me I'll do my best to show you the ropes."

"I'd like that." Conner tried on a small smile of his own. 

 

\--

 

Mercy pulled both Tim and Lex out of the lab at some hour of the evening. They headed back to Lex's penthouse, and ate the food she put in front of them. Lex asked a few questions about the projects Tim had started. Tim was happy to answer them. 

His eyes were already threatening to close, long before he actually fell into bed. Looking up at the dark ceiling, it was starting to feel like home.

  
  
  



	7. School

 

Conner looked up at the gates to South Metropolis General High School. He'd been standing there for almost four minutes, and with his speed it felt like a lot longer. Of all the traditional experiences someone his age had, Conner had never actually thought this was one he'd share. He already had a college-level education downloaded into his brain. He didn't need the classes, but in the five weeks since he'd moved in with Clark he had become aware that he did need the socialization.

"It's part of being human," Clark had said, "and you can't follow me around rather than going to school."

A girl bumped into his shoulder and books went everywhere. Conner made an effort to relax, so the next person to touch him wouldn't break their hand.

"Sorry," he muttered, and bent to help her pick everything up. Did he need all these books? Clark had gotten him a backpack, but he only had a few notebooks and pencils so far. Was that wrong?

"Oh no, no. I can't be late on the first day," the girl was babbling. 

Conner wanted to reassure her, but another girl beat him to it. "Chill Megan. We've got plenty of time."

The girl, Megan, brown hair and a light spattering of freckles, took her books back with a smile. "Thanks." She smiled at him, then turned away before he could react. "Cassie, wait up."

Conner straightened and looked around again, this time taking in more than the building. There was a sports field to one side of the building, and students in some kind of uniform heading towards the locker rooms. Cars were pulling up, letting students out and driving on. There was a slow but steady trickle of people towards the building's main entrance.

It was true that he (and the girls) were early. His first class didn't start for another twenty minutes, but he was used to getting up with the sun. 

Conner pulled out the slip of paper that had been issued to him when he'd registered for classes. It had his homeroom number, a schedule of the rest of his classes, and a locker number. There was a map of the school on the back. He headed inside. At least he wouldn't be starting in the middle of the season or anything. According to his research, that was a sure way to stand out, which was a bad thing. Conner wasn't really sure if he could trust his research. It all seemed a bit...

Conner found his locker and managed to get it open. It was empty and he didn't have anything to put in it yet, not even a coat, so he closed it again and headed to his homeroom. Around him people called out to friends, and headed in every direction. It almost felt like his rescue training, except no one was panicking.

The classroom was what he had been told to expect, rows of desks with a whiteboard at the front. There were windows looking out over the faculty parking lot. A few people were slumped in chairs, or digging through their bags. There didn't seem to be a seating chart, so Conner picked a desk at random. He only realized his mistake when the teacher, a middle aged woman with hair that was going silver, smiled at him.

His seat was in the front row. Sure, it was on the side, but he wouldn't be able to watch what the other students were doing. He wouldn't be able to pick up cues from them. And if the teacher thought he was too eager she might call on him. That at least he wasn't worried about. He was sure that whatever they would be studying he'd either already know it, or pick it up quickly enough.

It turned out that they didn't really study anything, not that first day. There were a lot of introductions, and then talking about the syllabus, and then shuffling over to a different classroom for english and social studies. He was given a textbook in biology, then everyone scattered for lunch. 

Conner hadn't brought anything. He paused in the door to the cafeteria, trying to figure out what the rules were. Most of the students seemed to already know people. Conner had come in as a Junior so it made sense. He was trying to figure out the protocol for buying lunch vs. bringing lunch when he heard it.

"Cassie you can't just--" 

Conner turned and saw the two girls he'd bumped into that morning. One of them had a poster as big as she was, and was taping it up to the wall by the door. The poster read Queer Alliance in big red and blue letters. The two girls were getting attention. Cassie didn't seem to care, but Megan was glancing around, nervously tugging at a strand of her hair. A few of the watchers snorted, and muttered things under their breath. Conner caught a few words he knew were insults, but he couldn't understand why they'd be directed at the girls.

A space started to open up around them. Some people ducked their heads, others lifted their chins. Superboy stepped in to fill the gap before anyone could start anything.

"Hi," Cassie said, looking him over. "You interested in the alliance?" 

Conner hesitated, Cassie was a lot more intimidating up close. "Umm, what is it?"

Megan stepped up, her nervousness falling away. "We're starting it. Cassie's old school had one and, well, I thought it sounded like a cool idea."

"We're going to help promote equality and fair representation," Cassie added, as she finished with the poster. 

"Oh, well, yeah, I guess I'm interested in that."

"Great!" Megan said, and took his hand. "Come on, we can tell you all about it. I've got badges!"

By the end of Lunch Conner had a new Queer Ally pin on his backpack and a lot more research he needed to do.

 

\---

 

Tim purposefully sat alone in a corner of the courtyard at lunch. Metropolis First was a premier private school. It was the kind of place that he'd been sent to all his life, but here in a new city and with a new patron, he was getting a lot more attention than he ever had in the past. All the whispers that followed him through the halls were grating on his nerves. 

"So you're the new kid." 

Tim looked up to find a tall, thin girl with a high ponytail. She was wearing a bomber jacket with a thick fur trim at the collar despite the end of summer weather. 

"It's the start of the term. Everyone is new." 

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but you're new." She put emphasis on the last word. 

Tim sighed, and started to stand. He'd gone to the courtyard to get away from that attitude. She was actually saying it to his face which was different, but still. 

She put her hand on her hip, and tipped her head, "So that's it?"

He glanced up, "Excuse me?"

"You're not going to fight back? You're not going to defend yourself or stand up for yourself or whatever?"

Tim faced her. "Who are you?"

"Roxie. And you're Tim. Is it Drake or Luthor?"

Tim placed her after a moment. Her family had a contract with the military building high altitude planes. Roxie was known as something of a thrill seeker, fast cars, despite her underage status. Cliff diving, base jumping, she was into anything that would get her pulse racing. Word was that she had strapped a seat to one of her family's rockets once. Not the type of person Tim would generally hang out with. She wasn't worth the energy, or time.

"I haven't been adopted." If he was going to have to answer these questions at least she wasn't trying to frame them in innuendo or hints about family and tradition. 

"But he did take you in."

"Yes." 

She waited. He met her eyes and didn't back down. 

"And?" Roxie eventually asked. 

"And what? My parents were killed, he took me in. Anything beyond that is none of your business."

Her expression turned to one of surprise, then she tossed her head back and laughed. "Ha. So there is a spine in there."

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

She shrugged. "Your choice."

Tim turned again, ready to walk away, when his watch beeped. He glanced at it, adjusting the face. The watch wasn't just a watch, it was one of his personal projects, since phones weren't allowed in most of his classes. It was hooked into most of the systems he had running on the LexCorp servers. there wasn't enough space or memory to actually change any of those programs but at least this way he wasn't caught off guard. 

The message read: Conner Kent - South Metropolis General. 

Apparently the public school had only just uploaded their list of students. His Superboy tracking program had picked up the data and logged it. 

It was a pity Superboy wasn't here at Metropolis First. It would be so much more convenient to study him in person. 

"You late or something?" Roxie was giving him a look with her nose twisted up to one side.

"Not yet." Tim turned and started across the courtyard. Roxie followed him, still openly watching him. The only thing she was missing was a bag of popcorn. Still her presence made some of the more annoying students keep back. Tim decided to tolerate her until he came up with a better solution.

 

\--

 

"So, how was your first day of school?" Eve asked as they rode the elevator down to Lex's lab.

"Fine. Only the AP classes are even close to being threatening, and of course everything has somehow learned Lex took me in." He gave her a sideways look.

"Well someone had to get the paperwork all filed and people talk," Eve waved a hand. "A big press conference would make it look like a PR stunt, but if it just leaks out then both of you look far more sympathetic."

Tim nodded, conceding the point. "So what did I miss during school?"

"Nothing much. A few meetings. The South American team is behind schedule and Lex spent half the afternoon putting the fear of god into them." 

The elevator doors dinged. Tim made the familiar turn into the fake electrical closet. Eve waved him off, returning to Lex's office to play decoy.

Lex was under a robot when Tim was scanned into the lab. Mercy stood to one side with her arms crossed. She had on the frown that meant she knew she couldn't talk Lex out of whatever he was determined to do, but if given the opportunity, she would try anyway. Tim turned back to the robot. There was something familiar about it...

"Is that Apokoliptian?"

"Reverse engineered, yes." Lex answered without stopping his work. 

"Ah," Tim nodded. Apokoliptian technology was illegal, but it was still possible to acquire it if you had deep enough pockets. The only question was why? "To what end?"

Mercy shot him a glare. Lex liked to bounce ideas off people when he was working. Mercy had been Lex's audience before Tim came along and had happily given up the position. Neither of them could quite keep up with Lex's rapid-fire thought process.

"I have a few ideas. It depends on what this thing turns out to be capable of. Mining in the asteroid belt, possibly, if it doesn't hold up. As it stands Apocalypse has already attacked earth twice. If we're not ready to field equivalent weapons we're just asking to be wiped out next time."

"We did survive the two times they attacked." Tim pointed out, playing devil's advocate. 

"And Superman isn't always going to be around. If Darkseid is half as smart as everyone knows he is, he'll find a way to manufacture kryptonite eventually. I did."

Tim hummed an acknowledgement. "It looks like you're almost done. You still need to test it?" Tim looked over the robot again. It had four jointed legs and a central core that looked like it might spin. There were two claw-like arms extended with two room for two more folded seamlessly away. 

"Yes, that is a good point." Lex twisted out from under the central body of the robot and typed on a nearby keyboard. The robot bent, folding in on itself until it was half the size it had been. "Mercy?" 

"Yes sir?"

"There hasn't been anything big in the city since the black lanterns, that I'm forgetting, has there?"

"No sir. Things have been rather quiet since then."

It had been nearly a month but Tim still had to make an effort to control himself at the mention of the black lanterns. Instead he focused on what was in front of him. The robot and the plans around it. 

"Who in the city has been causing trouble?" Lex might have been directing the question at the others in the room, but he clearly didn't expect an answer, since he moved to pull up a list of files before they could move. "Looks like Ridani has been trying to cut corners again, that will do..."

"Ridani?" Tim asked, trying to remember who Lex might be referring to. 

"He's on the Mayor's cabinet and owns several high-rises between 27th and Fairfield. Lex doesn't like his politics." Mercy explained.

"His politics are fine. I don't like how he's constantly trying to get into back-room deals with Russia. If you want to break the law you have to be able to do it well, otherwise there's no point." Lex caught himself before he got properly angry, and ran a hand over his skull. "Mercy, have LDV-1 here put on a truck. It can mysteriously start up during transit."

"Superman?" Tim prompted.

Lex nodded, "Oh he'll show up before too long, but there's always property damage in those kinds of fights."

Lex's answer implied he didn't think the robot would win, but than, this robot hadn't been designed to kill Superman. Lex was merely using Superman as a means of testing the robot's limits. If it inconvenienced Superman than all the better.

"Then, may I make a request?"

Lex actually looked at him, his focus shifting off the robot for the first time since Tim had entered. "What is it?"

"The timing. I'd like to run a few experiments of my own."

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roxie is a reference to the supervillan Roxie Rocket, but completely reimagined.


	8. Drastic Measures

 

Lex agreed to wait until Tim was out of school a few days later.

On Saturday Tim strolled down Fairfield, fully equipped. His watch was counting down. He had personally designed his phone. It had a number of useful programs waiting to be activated and a built-in stun gun. Both his pants and jacket had Lex's blend of Kevlar and lead woven into the lining. His new glasses were acting as a heads-up display. Tim found it fitting, or maybe ironic, that his villain persona wore glasses and Superboy's civilian persona had glasses. Other than that he could have been any civilian, albeit one wearing the LexCorp logo.

The buildings Lex had picked out for demolition were rented office space, mostly empty on the higher floors, but with shops open to the street. Tim parked himself in front of a sundollar across the street and checked his phone. Five minutes until showtime.

Tim spotted the truck when it turned the corner. It was moving at a normal speed without any identifying marks. Nothing to say where it had come from or where it was going. It stopped at the light. Tim's watch beeped. He stood up, and had taken two steps before the sound of twisting metal screeched through the air. 

On the street around him people looked up. A few people raised phones. The locals glanced up. Tim started his timer. Now he would finally see what kind of enemy Superboy would really be. 

There was a thud from the truck. The driver put on his hazard lights and threw open his door. The side of the truck buckled outwards, rocking on its axis. A man on the corner selling papers was the first to take cover. Seconds later others started backing away. The van lurched and tipped onto its side.

The robot burst out of the truck like a hatchling from an egg, peeling back the metal frame in strips that grated on the ears. People were asking questions, calling for Superman. The local shops were shutting down, following the emergency procedures that were standard practice for most large cities.

The robot tipped over and landed on the street, before rising up like a horror movie monster. At least it can't roar, Tim reflected. That would have been too over the top. The head of the robot spun, red lights flashing. It zeroed in on the nearest building and marched forward, cracking the pavement underneath it.

The last of the tourists got with the program and got out of its way. 

Tim watched everything unfold from his spot against the building. No one paid him any attention. The next step of his plan depended on how quickly Superman arrived, and how long the robot lasted. 

The robot looked at the front of the building, then raised a foreleg and tested the structure. The first suport gave way, crumpling into scrap. The second held better. The robot smashed a set of windows on the second floor as it climbed up the architecture. It had just reached the third floor when Superman deigned to arrive. 

The air split with a crack, and then there he was there, red and blue, and pompous in his fluttering cape. Superman had his hands on his hips, standing even with the robot, about ten feet away from the building. Tim paused his timer, and started on the second half of his plan. 

 

\--

 

"Please return to street level," Superman asked the robot. It turned and looked at him, clearly analyzing the fact that he was hovering in midair. It then dismissed him as non-mission relevant and went back to climbing the building. 

Superboy landed, running a few steps before he came to a stop. Kon hadn't had time to change, but he'd grabbed a tourist t shirt from a street vendor. The big blue and red logo over his jeans would have to do. Clark had offered to lend him his spare uniform but it didn't really work, and he wasn't used to fighting with a cape. Kara had filled him in on a few tricks but still he didn't think capes were his thing.

"Make sure the building is clear," Superman called out. Kon refocused on the moment. Working with someone else was another thing he had to get used to. Superman grabbed the front leg of the robot and started prying it free of the building. Sparks scattered as something in the wall gave out. The building went dark. Kon squinted, bringing up his infrared vision. The robot had only shown up a few minutes ago so there were people still inside, not that many. A group of people on one of the upper floors was gathered together. Another pair were on the stairs, headed down. The first floor had a group that were leaving through a back entrance. A solitary figure was on the third floor, the same floor as the robot. That would have to be his priority. 

Kon lept, crossing his arms as he smashed through the second floor windows. He hit a desk, rolled over it, knocking the monitor to the floor. He needed to loop around and get to the person on the second floor from the back of the building. Stairs. Kon scanned the area, zeroed in, and moved. Training took over, treating the desks like any other obstacle.

Kon could hear Superman fighting outside. Either the robot was more resilient than it looked or there was something else keeping Superman from dealing with it. Again Kon pulled his attention back to the moment. Superman could handle himself. Kon has his own mission.

Kon hit the door to the stairs, kicked off the wall and jumped. One floor was nothing. He grabbed the balcony railing, and kicked the door open. 

The robot was off to his left, two of its legs hooked into the building supports.  A flash of blue and red was knocked out of sight. The rest of the floor was empty at a glance, more desks were scattered around with offices against the walls.

"Hello, is anyone here?" Superboy called, trying to sound like he knew what he was doing. No one answered. Kon switched to his infrared vision again. There was a heat trail but it was faint, at least a few minutes old. Finally he looked up. There. Had he misjudged before or had they moved? Didn't matter. Kon spun and repeated his stunt in the stairwell.

Where? There. The figure was standing a dozen feen from the window, watching what was happening outside. Kon rolled his eyes. Some people would never learn to just get out of the danger range. Kon zipped forward, stopping a few feet from... the kid. Well he wasn't really a kid, maybe fourteen, but he held himself like he was older. More importantly, he was the same teen who had been on the roof of LexCorp tower that first night he'd left Cadmus. What was he doing here?

The teen lifted an eyebrow. "Well?"

"You need to get out of here, it's dangerous," Superboy said.

The teen glanced down at his watch, then out the window. "Oh really?"

"Yes. Now there are other people in this building so if you--"

"No."

"What?" Kon stumbled over his own words. This guy obviously know what was going on, so why was he--? "Why not?"

"Because you're not very convincing," He glanced at his watch again and crouched. Kon had just enough time to wonder what he was doing before the robot was thrown through the window.

A metal leg clipped Kon sending him spinning. He hit something and dug in his fingers. Plaster dust spiraled up around him. Kon switched to infrared. The teen had avoided any damage. Superman was a dark red blur, zipping back and forth as he wrapped the robot's legs in some kind of cord. The robot twisted. Kon couldn't see it as well. It wasn't giving off the same kind of heat. 

Kon shook his head, and pushed himself back to his feet. The robot flailed, one leg sweeping a pile of desks into a corner of the room. The teen was silhouetted against the broken window, eyes darting back and forth from Superman and the robot to Kon. 

Superboy darted around the robot, aiming for the teen. The last thing he needed right now was for him to fall or something. He saw Kon coming. Kon caught the start of a smile as he stepped back, right to the edge of the broken window.

"No," Kon reached forward. 

He tilted backwards. Suddenly the two of them were surrounded by sky. Kon had the sudden thought that his eyes were really blue, a dark blue like the night sky. Then he saw the ground come up behind the guy, and Kon moved. 

Hand on the guy's shoulder, pulling him in. His breath on Kon's neck, hair tickling his nose. Something sizzled down Kon's arms. It felt like insects were crawling over his skin, except the skin wasn't his. He could feel the weight of the guy's clothing, the wind tugging at his hair as if it was his own. The ground was coming up fast even with his superspeed.

No.

Kon twisted, putting himself between the ground and the civilian even as he pushed the teen up. Willing him away from the concrete. He hit the pavement hard enough to crack it. His fingers were laced with those of the guy he'd rescued. The guy who was floating an arm's length over him.

The guy's eyes were darting around behind his glasses, looking at Kon's hand, the ground which wasn't pulling him in, and back to Kon. He assumed that the guy didn't know what was going on, which, fair. Kon didn't know what was going on either. 

"Are--" Kon caughed, as his lungs protested, but he forced the words out. "Are you okay?"

The guy glanced at the ground again. He slowly lowered a foot to the ground. The tingling running across Kon's skin faded. His hand felt colder after he let go.

Kon picked himself up and looked around. There were whining mechanical noises coming from the fourth floor of the building they'd been in. His infrared vision told him that the people on the stairs had managed to get out and the people higher up had found a sturdy spot. Superman was still in the building, but he wasn't moving much so Kon guessed the fight was over.

The guy, Kon really needed to learn his name, brushed himself off, and checked his watch. 

"Are you okay?" Kon asked again.

"I'm not hurt."

Kon shook his head, "You know, most people thank me when I stop them from falling four stories."

"Luthors are not most people." The guy, Luthor? looked him over. "Your shirt is ripped by the way."

"Luthor? Really?" Kon ignored the comment about his shirt. He'd figure out a better costume at some point.

"Technically my name is Tim Drake, but Lex Luthor is my guardian, so yes." He checked his watch again and this time pulled out his phone.

Kon didn't know if Tim was going trying to confuse him or what? He wasn't acting like anyone else Kon had yet interacted with. He didn't fit into any of Kon's expectations.

Red and blue lights flashed from the end of the street. "I believe that's your cue," Tim said, nodding in the direction of the cops.

Technically Tim was right. Superman was already going to be angry that he hadn't managed to clear the building. At least this way he'd save some face. Kon glanced at Tim again, then headed towards the officers getting out of their car. By the time Kon looked back Tim was gone.

 

\---

 

Tim sat in his corner of the Metropolice First courtyard and watched the footage of him and Superboy falling for what was probably the hundredth time. It was lunch, and apart from Roxie he'd managed to get some time to himself. At first he'd worried that Roxie would ask what he was doing, but she seemed wrapped up in her own world. She hadn't glanced at his phone even once.

He watched Superbuy throw himself up away from the ground, hand still gripping his. He watched Superboy hit the ground while he... didn't. Tim paused the clip. It was... unexpected. All his predictions were based on Superboy having a similar power set to Superman. After all Supergirl had never shown anything beyond Superman's powers, so why should Superboy? This however was brand new.

Was it some kind of anti-gravity? if that was the case, why wasn't Superboy using it to fly? Did this explain Superman's flight ability, and Superboy was merely activating the gene differently? Or was it something else? Some kind of telekinesis? He had too many questions, and no way to answer them.

And that wasn't even taking into account the rest of Superboy's actions. Tim had wanted to test him but... It was as if his raw skills had been honed without any real world examples. Someone who knew the book by heart but not how to apply it. Theory rather than practice. Anyone who was trained in emergency work knew how to talk to a civilian in the danger zone, whether that person was frightened, cooperative or aggressive.Superboy had found him fast enough but after that everything had derailed. Tim hadn't meant for Superman to throw the robot right at him or to fall out the window.

He rubbed a hand over his head, trying to pick apart all the pieces, and find the boxes they fit in.

"Hey Earth to Tim, Have you heard anything I've been saying?"

Tim looked up at Roxie sitting across the table from him. He hadn't invited her to eat lunch with him, but she had anyway. So far she'd ignored the fact that he was ignoring her, plowing forward without any care for what was in her way. Tim shrugged.

Roxie rolled her eyes, "Whatever. Anyway, where was I? So they're talking about belaying into this volcano and I'm like- your ropes will never hold up to that and--"

Tim tuned her out again.

What he really needed was more time to study Superboy in non-stressful situations. He needed a baseline. He would keep testing him of course, but the kind of thing he'd set up the day before could really only be pulled off once every few weeks at most. No, what he needed was...

Tim glanced up, "Roxie, may I ask you a question."

"Shoot."

"Purely hypothetically, how easy would it be for you to get your hands on something that went boom?"

A grin spread over her face, "Oh I knew I liked you for a reason. Purely hypothetically, how big a boom?"

"Well, on a completely unrelated note. I don't much like the gym."

She considered, "Is there a hypothetical timeline to go along with this hypothetical boom?"

"As soon as possible."

 

\--

 

Lex had gotten a lot of bad calls in his life. This wasn't as bad as the call that he'd lost his mother, but it was worse than a lot of the others. 

He told Eve to clear his afternoon, and Mercy drove him to Metropolis First. He headed for the office, and thanked his stars that the hallways were clear. Tim was sitting next to an upper-class girl in the seats outside the principal's office. Lex didn't know the girl on sight but she was grinning unapologetically. 

Lex kept any reaction internal. He knew this situation. He'd never been on this side of it before but he'd been on Tim's side plenty of times. He should have expected it, to be honest. Tim had lost his family. He'd been thrust into a new situation. Lex hadn't treated him any differently. He didn't know how to deal with average children. He should have taken his own history into account. At this age, to get his father's attention Lex would have done the same thing, impressing the girl would have just been a bonus.

He stepped into the office, straightening his cuffs as he spoke, "I need to speak with the principal."

She was a middle-aged woman who, in another life, would probably have been a nun who slapped people's fingers with rulers. She somehow managed to look down her nose at him without standing up.

"I'm afraid he's busy supervising the clean-up. I might be able to schedule you in for the end of the week."

Lex reminded himself not to grind his teeth and nodded, "Please do." He was far past letting most people talk to him like that, but this was a special case. He'd jump through whatever hoops they needed, pay for the new gym, or whatever other bribery was asked. His relationship with Tim was more important. 

"Tim," Lex tried to keep him voice even as he led the boy to the parking lot. Mercy opened the door to the town car for them. It was only once they were on the road that He took a breath and spoke. "Tim, is there anything that you'd like to talk to me about?"

Tim tilted his head delicately, almost bird-like.

"Or someone else. Mercy and Eve can both be trusted, and I can hire a professional if that's something you prefer. I just want to let you know that you don't need to act out to get my attention. This is a delicate time and I'm still learning how to be a-- well, a parent, I suppose. I want to support you, so if there's anything you want to talk about..." Lex waved a hand. 

For heaven's sake, he hadn't babbled like this since he'd been living in Smallville and infected by that love-mutant. What was he doing?

Tim slowly shook his head, "No."

"If you don't want it to be me I understand, but this kind of acting out isn't healthy. First the accident with Superboy and now this. It's dangerous, even with the precautions in place. It's--"

Tim shook his head, "No, it's not that. I'm not trying to act out. I just needed to be expelled."

Lex blinked, "Expelled?"

"Yes. Superboy, or Conner Kent, is going to South Metropolice General. His powers are different from Superman's. I need to get closer to him, so I blew up the gym. Now you can send me to South Metropolis as a punishment. I'll be in the perfect position. It's not like I really need school in any case. I could pass the SATs right now."

Lex sat back in his seat. It took a second for him to mentally switch gears. "It's recon on Superboy."

Tim nodded.

How many times had Lex done something similar. sacrificing or appearing to sacrifice his own position for intelligence or resources. It wasn't that his previous assumtion hadn't been rational, but he was glad he'd been wrong. This was so much easier to deal with. 

"I see. I'll have you transferred to South Metropolis. You'll have to keep up your studies, of course."

"Of course."

Lex nodded. "Was there anything else?"

"No. I'll be able to handle the rest."

"Good, and Tim?"

Tim looked up meeting his eyes.

"Next time just ask me."

Tim nodded, "Understood."

  
  
  



	9. Face To Face

 

By the second week Conner thought he knew what to expect at school. He knew where all his classes were. He only used his locker to store his lunch and to keep his coat and now a spare costume. He was worried about that last one, but Clark said people never paid attention to that kind of thing. At lunch he ate with Cassie and Megan and glared at anyone who tried to mess with them. Only one person had gotten past the glairing stage so far, and Cassie had been the one to deal with him.

Then the world was tipped on its side all over again. 

He walked into his homeroom on Monday morning, and Tim Luthor was sitting in the front row right next to his usual spot. Conner froze, and the guy behind him, Marvin, bumped into him.

"Whoa, Conner come on man, blocking the doorway here." 

Conner stumbled to the side, putting his back to the whiteboard. Tim glanced up from his book, and met Conner's eyes. He pointedly turned a page, then looked back at his book. Marvin lifted an eyebrow as he headed for his own seat. 

"Something I can help you with, Conner?" Their teacher asked from where she was sorting papers at her desk. 

Conner shook his head. "I'm fine." He wasn't. He'd read up on Tim Drake-Luthor since he'd saved him. Lois had had a lot to say about him. A whole article, in fact. Except... Tim wasn't doing anything. He was just sitting there reading his book. It wasn't even a suspicious book, it was The Old Man and the Sea-- for this class. Conner had a copy in his bag. He hadn't started reading it yet. Wouldn't Tim be doing something, if he was here for him?

Did that make sense? Did Tim being here at all make sense?

"Can you please take your seat Conner? The bell's about to ring." Ms. Whillis asked.

"Oh, yeah." Conner tried to act casual and tried to watch Tim and tried not to look like he was watching Tim, because even with his limited knowledge he knew that was creepy. He wasn't sure how well he succeeded at any of it. 

The bell rang and Ms. Whillis clasping her hands together in her usual 'let's get started'  pose. "Alright everyone. Today we have a new transfer student. Would you like to introduce yourself?" She gestured at Tim.

Tim watched her for a minute, then lifted one shoulder. He stood and turned so he could look at the class as a whole. "My name is Tim Drake. And before you hear any rumors, Yes Lex Luthor is my guardian, and no I didn't blow up my old school. I was just there when my classmate blew it up." He sat back down propping his head up with one hand. Ms. Willis looked disappointed, but took a breath and turned to the whiteboard.

Conner didn't hear a single word of the lesson. He was too busy keeping an eye on Tim, and waiting for the other shoe to drop. Tim dropped his pencil twice and had to go digging through his bag once and each time Conner nearly dented his desk before he realized Tim wasn't going to pull out a bomb, or something. Unfortunately his infrared vision wasn't any good when it came to finding bombs, so Tim could still have something hidden. 

They had the same homeroom and english class. Different math and history, then the same lunch. The classes he didn't have with Tim were almost worse than the ones he did. All through math Conner kept squinting through the walls, trying to tell which heat signature belonged to Tim. He tried to relax during history. After all, if nothing had happened yet, then why would he do something now? Except, what if Tim was luring him into a false sense of security? What if he was just waiting for Conner to let down his guard? 

"Conner, are you okay?" Megan asked as she sat down across from him. Conner leaned sideways so she didn't block his view of Tim two tables away. Unlike in class, Tim seemed to be making friends, or at least there was a crowd of people around him. Conner's super-hearing was only catching every fourth word of the conversation. It was hard to concentrate on that and the conversation he was supposed to be a part of.

"What?"

"She asked if you were okay," Cassie said. Megan was frowning now. She half stood and reached for his forehead, but Conner ducked away.

"I'm fine, it's just the new guy." He glanced one last time at Tim, then refocused on his lunch.

Megan twisted in her seat and Cassie rolled her eyes. "So he's a Luthor, so what? It’s not like he’s ever been arrested or gone on a screaming rampage through the streets with a bunch of robots. I mean bad taste in mentors aside..." She shrugged.

"Yeah, I don't really get it," Megan added.

"Neither of you are from Metropolis," Conner grumbled.

"Neither are you, farm boy," Cassie pointed out.

That was the cover story he and Clark had agreed on. Conner had moved to Metropolis for his last few years of high school because he had a better chance of getting into a good college that way.

Conner shrugged, "It feels like I'm from here, and anyway, Luthors are never good news no matter where you are."

Megan was frowning, "Conner, I don't want you to take this the wrong way but, well, that's not a very nice thing to say. You don't really know him. It never feels good to be judged before you even have a chance to say anything." She looked down at her hands, folded together on the table. Without her normal smile she looked like half a person. Cassie wrapped her arm around Megan's shoulders.

Conner let out a breath, "you're right. He hasn't done anything. I just-- I don't know--" Conner shook his head trying to clear it. "I guess it was just a surprise."

"You're cousin does a lot of articles on Luthor doesn't he?" Cassie asked. Conner nodded. "See that's your problem than. you can't let him think for you. Get a second opinion. Do your own research. Just because he has a grudge against Tim's adoptive dad doesn't mean you need to go all Capulet and Montague on him. Unless of course that's your thing." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"I don't get it." 

Cassie gave him a blank look, "Seriously? Romeo and Juliet? God, you have some weird knowledge gaps. How did you manage to get through middle school without reading Shakespeare?" 

Conner shrugged. The gnomes hadn't exactly considered literature high priority.

"She's suggesting you might have a crush," Megan said. She had apparently recovered. Conner felt no guilt at the disgusted face he made.

Conner was still trying to come up with a proper retaliation when the bell rang. Five minutes to get to his next class. He shoved the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth and swung his bag up onto his shoulder. He was determined not to focus on Tim that afternoon. The girls were right. He was overreacting, even if it wasn't just because of Clark and his articles.

 

\--

 

Tim watched Conner leave with the two girls. He'd already noted down the girl's names for later research. Apparently they were part of the Queer Alliance,  which Tim was tempted to label a good thing, even if there wasn't any reason behind it. 

"So do you have your own car?" One of the hangers-on asked. 

Tim smiled and shook his head, "No, Mercy, or someone normally drives me if I need to go somewhere."

At Metropolis First,  everyone had been trying to earn future favors and win friends who would get them higher status. It was a poor imitation of the more adult political game. Tim still disliked the questions, but these people didn't have any goals. Not in regards to Tim at least. Half of them didn't have any goals at all. Tim couldn't tell if Conner had plans. 

So far Superboy had been wary. He clearly recognised him. Tim would have been disappointed if he hadn't. He seemed ready to act at the smallest provocation, which meant he had good reflexes, but other than that Tim wasn't impressed. You couldn't just be quick to action. You had to know when to act and how best to act. In this case the fight Superboy was clearly expecting wasn't the best reaction, not with so many civilians around. 

After lunch was chemistry, Tim's study period, gym, and his elective: computers. They were all joke classes. He'd been taking AP Chemistry at Metropolis First, and the computer class was a basic introduction to hardware and software. Gym was annoying but no one expected him to run marathons.

Tim had hacked into the school after he'd been registered and adjusted his schedule. He didn't have every class with Conner, just enough to keep an eye on him. 

Tim sat in the row behind Conner. He'd already spent the morning testing Conner's reflexes now to test his limits. Tim adjusted his watch until the face displayed an icon for a ringing bell.

The first ping was a whisper that could have come from anyone's phone. Conner shifted in his seat, but didn't otherwise react. Success. The next ping was quieter. Tim could hear it but he was listening for it. Conner reacted again, but no one else did. He glanced over his shoulder at the third ping. 

Tim started varying the length of time between pings so Conner couldn't ignore him. Conner broke three pencils in fifteen minutes. His range was asstounding, he could hear much more than Tim could, into the range of the ultrasonic and subsonic. Tim kept coded notes on ever reaction. 

He was quite satisfied with the results at the end of the class.

 

\--

 

"Hi Conner, what's up?" Kara answered the video call with a smile. School was out and he'd called her as soon as he got back to Clark's apartment. Clark wouldn't be home for another hour, so he had some time.

"Hello, you said I could call you..."

Kara lost a bit of her smile. "Sure just let me close the door." She got up and left the range of the camera. Conner shifted in his seat waiting for her to come back.

"Okay, shoot."

Even though she was wearing her glasses, her shoulders were back, her jaw set. She looked like Supergirl. It was strangely comforting.

"Well," He took a breath. "There's this guy."

Kara smiled and looked less like Supergirl, she leaned forward, propping her head on one hand. "Go on."

"No, it's not like that." Megan and Cassie had already made all the insinuations he wanted to hear. "He's a Luthor, well, sort of."

She lost her smile, but didn't lift her head from her hand. "I knew Lex was back in Metropolis but..." 

"His name is Tim. He's Lex Luthor's ward or something, and he's driving me nuts."

Kara's smile was back. "Welcome to the family."

Conner slumped, lower on the couch holding his phone up over him so he could still see her. "I thought it was bad enough when I had to rescue him, but now he's in my school--"

"You rescued him? What did you rescue him from?"

Conner sighed, "A robot. Clark thinks it was a Luthor robot, so he might have even set it up himself."

"It's possible," Kara conceded. "I mean, me and Lena worked things out but it took a while, and I know Clark and Lex have this whole history. Clark doesn't like to talk about it, but Ma Kent's told me parts of it."

Conner propped himself up. "Clark hasn't told me anything."

"Of course he hasn't. Okay, here's what I know. Clark got to earth way before I did and grew up in Smallville. Then when he was in high school Lex was 'exiled' to run the factory out there. Lex ran Clark over with his car, which of course didn't hurt him but ruined the car. Except somehow Lex thought Clark saved him. I admit I'm still a bit confused about that.  

"So after that Clark and Lex were friends for a while. Lex tried to give him a truck. They hung out a lot and all that. But see, both their dads were terrible. Both dads in Clark's case, human and Kryptonian. They weren't bad as in abusive or anything, well not Johnathan at least. Never mention Lionel Luthor in front of anyone in that family. In fact it's better to just pretend he didn't exist."

Conner nodded mutely. He wasn't sure he had the timeline down, but he thought he was following the rest of it. 

"Right, so Clark can't help but, well, help people. Lex keeps asking how he's doing all the things he's doing and Clark is the worst liar ever. Eventually it built up and broke their friendship."

Conner nodded again. "So... What am I supposed to do, other than never mention Lionel Luthor."

Kara took a moment, looking somewhere off camera. "Well, from personal experience, keep the relationship completely platonic unless you plan to tell him everything. Also come up with your cover story and make it as real and tangible as possible. If you're saying you're from Smallville then you can say you're a meteor mutant if he catches you using your powers, but that's tricky too. I'll send you Chloe's email she's a friend of Clark's she's super helpful for that kind of thing.

"Also having a good group of friends who are in the know and will cover for you can be a godsend. I know you've only been in Metropolis a few months but if you've found someone who can keep your secret than it might be a good idea to tell them."

Conner bit his lip and wondered if Cassie and Meagan would be good choices for that role. He did trust them but he'd only known then for a few weeks.

"Okay, thanks."

"Sure, no problem. was there anything else? How are you settling in at school? Clark hasn't driven you crazy yet has he?"

Conner couldn't help but smile. "He's not so bad, and school is weird, but it's okay. I'm just not used to learning like that."

Kara was nodding sagely, "I know when I first went to school I was so baffled by the idea of learning from books rather than simulations, like on Krypton. I had to say I was homeschooled, and no one understood why I was having problems."

"Yeah," Conner agreed, "like half of it I already know because Cadmus implanted it in my brain, and the other half I have no idea about, like books. People keep referencing Harry Potter and Star Wars or Trek or something. We're reading The Old Man and the Sea, and the teacher said it was like Jaws. I have no idea what that means." 

"Well, I've never actually seen Jaws, but that doesn't sound right." Kara glanced up before Conner could answer, "Oh, hang on." She looked back at the camera, "I've got a meeting, you good?"

He wasn't sure but he nodded anyway. "Yeah, go."

"Okay, talk to you later." She ended the call.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking pulling pigtails to a whole new level...


	10. Caught in the Act

 

"So how are things at your new school?" Lex asked over dinner. 

Tim nodded, "Going well. I need a few barrels of knockout gas."

Lex put down his fork and picked up his drink. "To what end?"

"I want to test Superboy's priorities."

Lex considered. "No casualties and it has to be off school grounds."

"I have a location picked out a few blocks away."

Lex nodded, "Good, you can show me the plans after dinner."

 

\---

 

There was a test in Chemistry. Tim hadn't studied for it, mostly because he didn't need to. The rest of the class seemed to be taking it seriously, bent over their desks, or chewing on their pencils. It was obviously a priority, so it made a good test. 

Tim slid his phone out of his pocket, thumbed to the right app and sent the command for the toxin to be released into the subway station two blocks away.  His phone trilled quietly when the alarms went off twenty seconds later. 

In the row in front of him, Conner reacted, shoulders twitching as he started to turn his head. Then he stopped and his frown turned to determination. He was squinting at the western wall, the proper direction to have noticed the emergency.

"Bathroom," Conner said, already out of his chair.

Mr. Roche stood "You are not allowed to--" but Conner was out the door before he could stop him. The class glanced around at the interruption, then ducked their heads again when Mr.Roche's glare turned on them.

Tim glanced at his phone again, tracking the emergency as Superboy arrived. Conner had just started carrying people out of the gas-filled tunnel when there was a hand on Tim's shoulder--

"There are no phones in class, Mr. Drake," Roche said with pointed clarity. "You can join Mr. Kent in detention after school, all week." Roche held out his hand for the phone. Tim passed over his test instead, tucking the phone into his bag. Roche was only a good teacher in the sense that he knew his subject. In any other circumstance Tim would have found a way out of the detention, but Conner wouldn't skip. He might not think it was fair, or very useful, and it wouldn't stop him from running out again, but he'd show up. That meant Tim would show up as well.

 

\---

 

Superboy set the latest person down in the line for the paramedics to look over. They hadn't figured out what the smoke was yet, but no one had died. There was a train that had just pulled in, but due to the time of day it had only been half-full. Overall they had been lucky. He took a slow breath, centering himself before he went back in. 

They hadn't been able to clear out the gas for fear of it spreading down the tunnels. As it was, no one was sure if this was an attack or an accident and, if the former, then what the goal was. That wasn't Superboy's job. His job was just to make sure everyone got out safe.

Superboy could hold his breath for just over twenty-six minutes. He sucked in clean air, and stepped forward. The gas prickled over his skin, creating a haze in the air. He'd already gotten everyone close to the stairs out, and the train car was empty, including the driver. This time Kon moved slower, switching between his regular vision and infrared. 

There was noone by the vending machines. He headed for the bathrooms, and paused. There was something, a sound. At first he just heard a motor, but under it was the hissing of air, and the slap of flesh against a hard smooth surface. 

Kon darted into the women's bathroom. There was a middle-aged blonde tucked up against the wall by the hand driers. She was slapping the button to keep the air circulating. A small clear space, at least for the moment. Kon ducked around her, to come up where she could see him. He couldn't ask if she was okay without breathing in, but he waved and she met his eyes. Kon pointed at her and covered his mouth. 

The woman nodded, and clamped her hands over her mouth and nose, closing her eyes for good measure. Kon took a second to pull her into his arms, and tuck her head against his shoulder, then ran for it.  Two seconds later both of them were out on the street in the clear air. The woman staggered but managed to stand, and the paramedics took charge of her.

She was the last person. Kon did two more sweeps of the station just to make sure, but everyone else had either gotten out on their own or already been found. He checked in with the paramedics one last time, then did a sweep of the perimeter. When it was clear that everything was winding down, he slipped away. 

Conner slipped back into school, just as his next period was starting, or at least Conner thought it was his next class and not the one after, or something... 

He had to hide until the halls were empty, since he was still wearing his costume. Then he sped to his locker, changed, and rushed to his next class all at superspeed. He got a pointed look from the teacher as she was collecting homework, but he didn't get into any worse trouble... at least until the end of his last class.

Conner had taken three steps outside his classroom when his phone rang. Only five people had his number and two of them were also getting out of class. Conner fumbled the phone out of his pocket, trying not to drop his bag in the process. 

"Why do you have detention?" Clark asked without even a hello.

Conner mentally ran back over his day and realized what must have happened. A second later he realized that he couldn't actually say what had happened, because saying he had to skip class to be Superboy wouldn't work in the middle of a crowded hallway. He stepped to one side, tried a door, found it unlocked and pushed his way into a supply closet.

"I well-- There was a thing."

"A thing?" Clark's voice was strained. Conner wondered if he was still at the Planet or out somewhere, either way he probably couldn't talk about it either.

"Did you hear about the gas leak on Washington Street?"

There was a stretch of silence on Clark's end, then a burst of static that might have been Clark blowing on the microphone. "Okay, I heard something about that. Is it-- Was it bad?"

"Not really?" Conner flashed back on the conversation he'd had with Clark about levels of responsibility, "I mean, yeah, sort of."

"Is there anything else I should know about?" A hardness had creeped into Clark's tone. Conner wondered if his posture had changed too.

"No, I don't think so. I mean, I could tell you about it tonight?"

"After your detention. And if you think you're going out tonight, you're wrong." Clark sounded as if he was quoting something, but Conner didn't know what.

So detention, and no patrol. It could probably have been worse. There weren't any Queer Alliance activities that he'd miss and it wasn't like he had anything else he did on a regular basis.

"Okay, I'll see you later then?" Conner asked.

"Ah, yes. I'll, see you later." Clark said in a stilted tone. The line cut out. Conner looked down at his phone. He'd only been out in the world two months and even he knew Clark sounded uncomfortable. Kara said Clark would get over it. That he was just like that when it came to family, because of how he grew up. If he was honest, Conner hoped it happened sooner rather than later. Superman was the whole reason he'd been created, and now...

Conner tucked away his phone and glanced into the hall. It had mostly emptied out with a few stragglers talking near their lockers or headed to clubs or sports practice. Conner didn't actually know where to go for detention. He wasn't sure if that was another gap in his knowledge or just a thing that upstanding students didn't learn. If he left he'd get in even more trouble, from Clark if no one else. 

Conner headed for the office. 

 

\---

 

Tim paused at his locker. Telling Lex he had detention wasn't something he could avoid, explaining why he had detention was another matter. He'd already gotten two texts, one from Eve,  _ Are you okay? _ and one from Mercy,  _ What happened? _ Tim suspected that Lex was in a meeting, or he'd have gotten several more texts. Tim understood that Lex was worried about his reputation and wanted to make sure that Tim was getting the best care, but he thought he'd earned more trust than that. 

The fact that getting detention rated on the same scale as blowing up a building or nearly falling to his death was at least proof that Lex was paying attention. 

He ended up sending a group text saying everything was fine and he'd need a pickup in a few hours. Mercy answered that she would be waiting. With that settled, Tim shut his locker... and paused.

There were three older members of the wrestling team lounging at the end of the hall. Tim didn't know them, but he knew their type. There were a few of them at every school no matter how high- or low-brow. People who liked to show their superiority with their fists. Tim hadn't tried to hide the fact that he was the next best thing to a Luthor. That had been an annoying asset at Metropolis First, but apparently not here.

Tim let his bag fall to the floor, pulling on his kevlar-lined jacket. He knew some self defence, but that had mostly been based on injuring someone enough to run away. That wasn't going to be an option if he just had to face them again tomorrow. No choice but to face them. He hefted his backpack in one hand, ready to swing.

"Hey look, it's the Luthor kid," One of them said, as if only just spotting him, "you know, I never asked what you're doing here, kid? Shouldn't you be on the snooty side of town?"

Tim rolled his eyes and kept walking. If they weren't even going to come up with any good insults, then he wasn't going to give them the attention they clearly wanted.

"No, haven't you heard? The Planet is saying he's a charity case. Just Luthor looking for a photo op. He's not even really adopted. Luthor will probably drop him as soon as the next story comes out. Why waste the tuition on someone who won't be around long enough to use it?"

Tim noted the smart one of the group. He'd read the article in question and it had been as biased as anything else Lane had ever written about Lex. A hand landed on his shoulder.

"Come on kid, don't you have anything to say?"

"Not to you." Tim kept his tone distant, bored, as if his mind was elsewhere. He tried to shrug off the hand, but it only tightened.

"Oh, and what's that supposed to mean?" They stepped forward together, forcing Tim to take a step back. 

Tim fell into a balanced stance, knees bent. He couldn't kill them, couldn't even really injure them, but that didn't mean he had to take a beating. The second one grabbed for his bag. Tim didn't try to keep it, there was nothing in there he cared about, and fighting over it wouldn't help.

"Hey!"

All four of them looked up, Tim included. Conner was marching towards them, fists clenched at his side, eyes almost glowing behind his glasses. He didn't stop to ask questions, just stepped into the middle of the argument and grabbed the wrist of the guy holding Tim's bag.

"This doesn't belong to you." His voice was pure authority. Conner and the other student were the same height and the other student was broader, but somehow Conner seemed to tower over him. 

"Fucking fag," the first guy growled. The punch he threw did less than nothing. Conner just looked down at where his arm had been hit, than back up at the attacker. He was now cursing for a completely different reason and clutching his hand to his chest.

"You should leave." Had Conner's voice always been that low? Tim hadn't heard Superboy talk much. It could be an affectation, but it didn't sound like it. 

The guy with the injured hand stumbled back a step before turning tail. The other two made a show out of leaving, as if it was their own idea and they'd just gotten bored. Tim took note of their features for later research and retaliation, then he looked up at Conner.

Conner had his hand out. His face had softened, though he wasn't smiling. Tim had had people defend him before. Conner probably would have helped anyone. He was that kind of person. And yet, for some reason, when Tim took his hand and let himself be pulled out of his crouch, his skin was tingling. He felt like he was floating again, his stomach doing somersaults. 

Conner ducked his head, "So, ah, are you alright?"

"Yes." Tim glanced away. "I could have handled it," he added. He felt like he had to say it.

Conner snorted. "Sure."

Tim looked up at Conner, who wasn't much taller but it was enough to be noticable. He seemed different in the glasses, and without the costume, more relaxed, more casual. There was a humoring smile at the corner of his mouth. Tim wondered if it was just the lack of any emergency or if the fact that he'd saved Tim had influenced him.

"What are you even doing here? I mean, shouldn't you have been picked up already or something?" Conner asked.

"Detention." 

Conner stared at him, gobsmacked. "But you're like, one of the smartest kids in this school. I'm a junior and you're a freshman, and we're taking most of the same classes. I know Mr. Florence was quizzing you last week, calling on you every other minute, but you knew the answer to every question."

Tim shrugged and ducked his head. "Well, that's math. It's just numbers."

Conner was still staring at him, his eyes glinting behind his glasses.

"I was on my phone in class," Tim admitted. "After you ran out, Roche was looking for someone to punish. It's no big deal."

"That sucks," Conner stumbled over the word. Tim wondered if he hadn't been allowed to curse at home, or if he'd been about to say something else.

They turned and began walking together, easily falling into step side by side. It was natural, easy. 

"Where do we even go for detention anyway?" Conner asked.

"That classroom off the library where they hold study hall."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense. Have you been in detention before?"

Tim shrugged, letting a playful smile grow over his features. "Not here, but I was threatened with detention when I blew up my old school."

Conner looked at him sidelong, "I thought you just happened to be nearby for that..."

"Maybe. You'll never know."


	11. It's a Date

 

Conner didn't know what he'd been expecting from detention, but this wasn't it.

The librarian checked off their names, and left them to it. Tim pulled out his homework, and Conner followed suit. It was easy, at least at first. They both sped through math and science. Conner groaned as he pulled out The Old Man and the Sea. He still didn't get it. The guy in the book had finally caught the fish, but for some reason that had taken half the book.

Tim glanced over at him, "Read it before?"

"No, I just don't get it."

Tim shrugged, "It's supposed to be about perseverance through struggle."

Conner looked at Tim. "Then why don't they just say that?" The question actually made Tim pause and consider. 

"Probably because it's Hemingway."

"I don't think I like Hemingway," Conner decided. It was nice to actually make decisions about things. He never got to have his own opinions back at Cadmus. 

Tim tilted his head. "So what do you like?"

Conner considered the question, "I don't know."

Tim didn't act like it was a stupid thing to say. He just nodded to himself. "I'll be right back." Conner watched Tim slip into the library and go through the shelves. He picked up a book every so often and added it to his pile. He had 8 books by the time he came back.

"Some of the basics. This is The Hobbit - classic high fantasy. There's elves and dwarves and a quest and everything. The Lord of the Rings comes after this, and it influenced everything else in the genre ever since, but since it's older some people think it's a bit dry. You can get away with just watching the movies. The Princess Bride is also fantasy but it's more comedy and satire.

"This is Sherlock Holmes. There are a bunch of short stories, and he's one of the classic detectives. There have been a whole bunch of remakes and everyone fights over which one is the best.

"This is Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. You'll probably be expected to read it for class at some point. It's not quite historical fiction but it's close.

"This is Treasure island. People will reference the Muppets, but I recommend knowing the story before watching that movie. It'll make more sense that way. The Muppets are something else entirely.

"This is a collection of Stephen King short stories. He's really good at writing horror, but most of his books end up being really long. This is Ender's Game. It's science fiction. The rest of the series gets kind of philosophical, but this one is good. Just never look up anything about the author. And last is Hondo. I don't read many westerns but Louis L'amour is supposed to be really good." Tim laid out all the books and finally looked up at him.

Conner scanned the selection, "Am I supposed to read all of these?" That sounded like more homework. True, he wouldn't have to write a paper on them, but still.

Tim shrugged, "No, they're just some suggestions. If you read the first few chapters of one and don't like it, then you probably wont like the genre."

Conner nodded. He didn't have anything else to do for the next two hours. He picked up the nearest book, Treasure Island, and skimmed the first page. Ten minutes later he nudged Tim's elbow and asked about this Silver guy and the black spot. Tim grinned and nodded. 

Conner didn't even notice the time passing after that.

 

\--

 

Tim smiled at Conner as he went on about Jim reaching the island. It had been easy to clone Conner's phone, with him so distracted. It was kind of endearing, actually. Conner knew he worked with Lex. He knew Tim was the next best thing to a supervillain. He should have been the most prejudiced about Tim, but somehow he wasn't. Conner hadn't pushed Tim, or asked invasive questions. 

He was...

Tim watched Conner read with his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth. It was...

Cute, endearing, It made Tim's chest tighten, and a smile creep up on his face. Tim admitted to himself that yes, he liked Conner. Maybe he even more than liked him. Tim looked down at his pencil, turning it around between his fingers. Tim wasn't attracted to many people, but... Yes. He liked Conner. He could see himself dating Conner.

Others would probably think it was a conflict of interest. Lex probably wouldn't understand, or maybe he would. Tim had read through his files, he'd seen Lex and Superman interact. Maybe it wasn't such a stretch. Tim had never had any trouble keeping things compartmentalized.

Tim looked back up at Conner. His eyes were darting over the page. There was a lock of dark hair that had fallen into his eyes, and he pushed it back without noticing. Somewhere in the distance a bell sounded. Their two hours were up. Tim didn't want to just leave, even if he'd see Conner in school tomorrow. 

Conner looked up, blinking, "Oh." He looked at the books around him. "I guess I'll start with this one, then." He glanced over at Tim. Tim leaned in. Conner was smiling, it lit up his face, making his eyes sparkle. Tim caught Conner's lips. His nose bumped into Conner's, his glasses tipping sideways. Conner made a little gasping sound, opening his mouth. Then Conner was pressing forward, his hands running over Tim's shoulders, down to wrap around his waist. One little tug had Tim halfway in his lap. Tim tilted his head, guiding Conner into a better position.

There was a pointed throat clearing from the doorway. "You two can take that somewhere else," the librarian said, one hand on her hip. Conner turned bright red. Tim looked down at his bag, nodding as he took a slow breath.

"Right, we'll just--" Tim put a hand on Conner's arm before he could start babbling. The librarian shook her head and turned away.

Conner glanced at Tim. His lips were red and swollen, and Tim wanted to kiss him all over again.

"Do you want to hang out sometime? I mean when we're not in detention."

"Yeah, that'd be great," Conner's smile lit up his face. 

"Good, I'll call you." Tim let himself look Conner over one last time before he shouldered his backpack and headed for the door. 

 

\---

 

Kon would have floated home if he was capable of it. Then Clark came home from patrol and gave him the disappointed look. All of a sudden the truth of what he'd done came crashing down on him. 

He'd kissed Tim. Tim had asked him out and he'd said yes. He was dating Tim. Was he dating Tim? They were dating, right? Wait, he shouldn't want that, should he? Even putting aside the fact that Clark would tear him a new one if he found out, Kara had flat-out warned him. She'd said to keep Tim at arm's length, because if he didn't Tim would find out everything and they'd end up tearing each other apart. What on earth was he going to do?

Conner's phone rang and he froze, spine going ramrod straight. Had Clark noticed? Did he know? He was Superman, how could he not?  Well, then again, Conner knew about super hearing and it wasn't as great as people thought. There was no reason for Clark to listen in on him, not if he didn't think anything was wrong. Unless Conner had slipped up? Was detention enough for Clark to listen in on him?

The phone rang again. Conner put his hand over it as if that would do anything to muffle the noise.

Clark looked up from the kitchen. For a moment he looked angry than his expression softened, "Who is it?"

"Kara?" Kon answered. It was the first name that popped into his head. He'd have to text her later to make sure it was okay. Clark was nodding though, so he didn't regret it. 

"Tell her I say hi," Clark said, and turned back to whatever he was cooking.

Kon retreated to his bedroom, locked the door and finally answered the call.

"Conner, I'm sorry is this a bad time?" Tim asked. His voice was quiet, but maybe a little hopeful? 

"No, no it's fine. I just had to-- ah never mind. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Made it home without any trouble." There was a smile in Tim's voice. "About that thing, If you're free on Saturday I thought maybe we could go to a baseball game? I know it's last minute but I could get us tickets and, well, it's a home game for once so..."

"No, I'd love to. I've never been to a baseball game before." Kon bit his lip and wondered if he should have admitted that. First the books and now the game. Living in the country was one thing, but... what was the saying? Under a rock-- was another. 

Tim hummed, "If you'd rather something else, I just thought…"

"A baseball game sounds great." Kon hoped he sounded enthusiastic and not desperate or weird or crazy. 

"Okay," Tim's smile was back, "I'll text you the details. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, tomorrow."

The line went dead. Kon looked down at his phone and one thought drifted lazily through his mind. I am in so far over my head.

 

\---

 

Conner stared at his lunch. He wasn't really seeing it, but since he couldn't set it on fire or anything, that didn't really matter. It was Friday. He had a date tomorrow. With Tim. 

He had no idea what to do. 

"I think I need help." Conner said to his sandwich. Megan sitting across from him leaned forward, he could tell because her hair draped forward into view. 

"Is something wrong with your sandwich?"

"Is something wrong with your brain?" Cassie asked. 

Conner looked up, and wondered if something was wrong with him. He'd been meeting up with Tim every afternoon in detention and they saw each other in class. He knew how Tim kissed. He really liked how Tim kissed, but tomorrow was... Tomorrow was important, wasn't it? It felt important.

Megan gave Cassie a look. 

Cassie shrugged. "What? it's an option."

"I have a date tomorrow and I have no idea what to do." Conner let the words spill out of him. If nothing else they were at least the truth. And a truth he could actually tell them rather than the truth that he was dating his mentor's enemy's protégé, who might also be a personal enemy? Kon wasn't sure. he'd only fought him that once, and did that really count? Then again, he'd only been an active hero for a few months...

Megan clapped her hands together, "Oh Conner that's great. Who are you going with? Did you ask them or did they ask you? Do I know them?"

Conner could feel his face turning red, and for the first time ever wished he could get a sunburn so he could blame it on that.

This time Cassie gave Megan a look. "You don't have to tell us, but if you want to we'd be happy to help."

Conner took a deep breath, "It's with Tim. he asked me and we're going to a baseball game, but I don't know if I'm supposed to bring something or get him something or pay for something. I don't have a lot of money, definitely not compared to him."

Cassie put her hand on his arm. "Hey it's okay. If he asked you and you already know where you're going, that's half the battle." 

Megan was nodding "You can get him something if you want, but a baseball game isn't really a 'big romantic gestures' kind of date."

"Make sure you bring some cash for snacks though," Cassie put in. 

"Is not romantic a bad thing?" Conner babbled.

The girls exchanged a look. Kon felt like he was seeing another language being spoken, but couldn't understand it.

"It's fine," Megan said. She was patting his arm now too. "It's just a first date, you're still feeling things out."

"It is a first date, right? You didn't hook up with this guy before and not tell us?" Cassie asked leaning forward on her elbows.

"No, well, I don't think so? We've been in detention together so we've been talking and hanging out and all that, but that's not a date, right? I mean, I didn't think it was a date. Was it, and I just didn't realize it?" His voice had risen half an octave and Conner had no idea how to stop it.

"No, detention is not a date," Megan said very firmly. 

"Most of the time," Cassie agreed.

"Most of the time?" Conner echoed, but Megan was already hitting her on the arm.

"Don't toy with him like that. You're fine Conner. Just wear something casual and have fun. I'm sure everything will go great."

"And if it doesn't you can call us," Cassie added.

"You can call us no matter what," Megan edited. 

Conner tried to take a deep breath. He wasn't sure he felt any better but lunch was almost over, so it would have to do.

 

\---

 

Conner firmly reminded himself that he was a superhero. He could do this. 

Tim met him on the corner outside the stadium. Tim had offered him a ride but by that point Conner had already been halfway there, so he'd declined. Should he have declined? Maybe he shouldn't have been so early. 

Then he actually saw Tim, in his usual jacket, but with a Metropolis Rockets baseball cap. There was a woman dropping him off. She frowned and said something pointed to him before she let him leave. Tim nodded and waved her off. It was so normal that Conner relaxed as he waved to Tim through the crowd. 

"Hi, were you waiting long?" Tim asked.

"Nope, I've only been here a few minutes." Conner glanced down at his hands. Then Tim's hands. Was he allowed to hold Tim's hand? 

Tim nodded at the building. "Lex has a box so we've got pretty good seats. It's this way."

Conner fell into step beside Tim. Their hands were brushing. Conner took a chance and laced his fingers through Tim's. Tim's explanation paused for a moment but he didn't pull away. Was he blushing? He was smiling at least. Conner decided it was definitely a win.

The box, when they finally made it there, was way higher class than anything Conner had yet experienced. They had menus. Conner had gotten the impression that there might be food stands, or possibly vendors hurling bags of peanuts, not lounge chairs and a fully stocked soda bar. 

"Is this okay?" Tim asked.

Conner didn't know what he'd seen on his face, but he let it go, all of it.  No expectations. Just him and Tim. No family, no masks. If he looked at it that way, then he could do this.

"It's cool. It's you," Conner said.

Tim was definitely blushing, "Oh, good. Do you want to get any food? The game's not going to start for another ten minutes, if you want to look around..."

Conner slid up to where Tim was standing. He traced his hand down Tim's arm and pulled him close. "Actually I think I like it right here."

They missed the start of the game, but Conner didn't mind. It turned out there was a lot of free time in baseball. A lot of time to just hang out with Tim. It might have been the only date he'd ever been on, but it was still the best in the world.


	12. Family Matters

 

Conner managed two and a half weeks before everything blew up.

It was late afternoon. They'd gotten back from patrol and the sun was starting to go down. Conner stretched and headed for his room, pulling out his copy of The Old Man and the Sea . He was two chapters behind in the reading, and superspeed reading didn't help. He just forgot everything an hour later, but without the superspeed, he couldn't get through more than a few pages without yawning. Then his phone rang. He'd left it in the other room, and didn't immediately hear it because of his headphones. 

Clark picked it up and said, "Hello, may I ask who's calling?" 

Conner's brain filled with static. His head turned and looked through his open doorway, all on its own. Clark's face went from pleasantly distracted to storm-filled in a slow roll like oncoming thunder. 

He couldn't move as Clark slowly turned to look in his direction. Conner heard Tim's voice faintly, before Clark disconnected the call. Clark came over and pointedly placed Conner's phone on the desk between them, with all the delicacy that Conner hadn't managed yet.

"Would you care to tell me why Lex Luthor's son is calling you?"

For some reason that pushed him into rage. Who was Clark to talk? Kara had told him enough to get how hypocritical that was. He didn't even use Tim's name, as Tim was just some kind of extension of Luthor: a puppet, not a person.

"Maybe because he's my boyfriend," Conner snapped, standing in a rush. The chair toppled over behind him, and Clark's eyes flashed red.

"No."

"No what? No he's not my boyfriend? I think I'd know better than you."

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into. Luthors are bad news, they will lie and cheat and hurt you at every opportunity. Half the kryptonite out there can be traced back to Lex. Kara's had just as much trouble with his sister, you are not going anywhere near him." Clark's voice had risen, not quite a shout, but loud enough.

"What, because you're going to stop me? Are you going to sit on me? Lock me up? Send me out to the farm? You never wanted me in the first place. You wouldn't give a damn if I flew off to Hawaii and lived on the beach for the rest of the year, but for some reason you suddenly care when I get anywhere near Luthor." Conner was shouting too, and he didn't care. All his frustration at Clark's indifference came flooding back. 

Compared to Tim, Clark had been distant at best. Tim actually showed him the world. Tim knew what it was like to suddenly be thrust into a completely new situation without any frame of reference. For all his vaunted otherness, Clark had been raised here. He had no idea what it was like to walk into a new school and not know what movies people were talking about or even how to have a real conversation.

Clarks face might as well have been stone, his jaw clenched and his eyes flashed red, before going dark. "You're grounded." His voice had returned to a normal volume but somehow that was worse.

Conner didn't care, "I can't fly, I'm always grounded, except for my new powers, but oh wait, you never bothered to learn about that." Conner had been trying to practice the making things float trick but so far he hadn't had any luck. 

"No patrols, no friends, no clubs." 

"You want to ban me from school too? I have classes with Tim. He might rub off on me. I might have Luthor cooties."

"One more word and you will go stay with Ma." Clark said, pointing in a general westerly direction.

"Well better anywhere else than here."

"One more word." 

Conner slapped Clark's hand out of his face. "How about two, I'm leaving." He snatched his phone off the desk, grabbed his coat and stormed towards the door. 

"We're not finished!" Clark yelled, but Conner ignored him. He headed for the stairs at a run and was on the roof a second later. Then he jumped into the clear evening air. He wanted to be anywhere else, somewhere Clark would never look for him. He landed on a street corner and jumped again before anyone could get a good look at him. He was heading for downtown, the buildings shining in the dark. 

Metropolis was the only home he'd ever known. Cadmus didn't count, that would never be a home, and now the only family he had didn't want him. He could head for National City, and see if Kara would take him in, but that would be almost as bad as being sent to Kansas. That wasn't where his friends were. He wasn't going to just leave Megan and Cassie, and he wasn't going to leave Tim!

On his next landing he changed direction, heading for uptown. He didn't know exactly where Tim lived, but if he listened carefully he might be able to hear him. 

When he did find the right building he had to remind himself not to go in through the roof. It was probably booby trapped. Instead he leaned on the buzzer, until a tense sounding female voice answered. 

"This is Conner, I want to talk to Tim."

"I'll see if he's available."

Tim came down to the lobby five minutes later. "Sorry about Mercy, she's paid to not let people in," Tim said with a smile. Then he actually saw Conner and his smile faltered. "Did something happen?"

"Just a fight with my cousin. Can I-- Do you want to hang out?" Conner didn't know where else to go if Tim said no.

Tim nodded, "Sure, do you want to come upstairs?"

They went up to Tim's penthouse, which was even more high-end than the baseball thing had been. Conner decided he liked it, if only because it was as far as you could get from Clark's apartment. Tim left him to pick a movie and went to order pizza. By the end of Mission: Impossible Conner had calmed down. He'd still have to deal with Clark at some point but he was going to watch Mission: Impossible 2 first.

 

\---

 

Tim watched Conner more than the movie. He didn't know why Conner had come over, but he wasn't about to turn him away. It wasn't what he'd planned for the evening, but it was nice.

Voices rose in the hall, Mercy's even tenor followed by Lex's baritone. Tim slipped out from under Conner's arm and  headed for the hallway. It took a second for Conner to notice. He fumbled for the remote.

"Tim. You have a guest?" Lex asked stopping in the hallway.

Tim nodded, "This is Conner, we're dating." 

Lex looked at Conner. Conner looked up at Lex. Lex's eyebrows went up. Conner went pale.

"Dating," Lex said, not quite a question.

"Yes," Tim hadn't meant to bring up that fact in this way, but it was as good a time as any.

Lex managed to drag his eyes away from Conner, "And when did this start?"

"Two weeks ago."

Lex hummed. 

Tim was prepared to wait until Lex made up his mind about it, and debate his choices if necessary, but Conner stumbled sideways towards the door.

"Conner?"

"I've umm, I've got to-- Thanks for letting me come over but--"

Lex waved a hand, "No need to leave on my account. Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"No, I'm good. We had things," Conner waved a hand between himself and Tim.

"I ordered pizza," Tim elaborated.

"Vegetables?" Lex asked.

"Pizza and a salad," Tim amended, because yes there had been a salad even if they hadn't eaten much of it.

Conner took another half step towards the door.

"Tim?" Lex asked, adjusting his cuffs

Tim nodded. He took Conner's hand and walked with him to the door. Conner didn't relax when Lex was out of sight.

"Sorry," Conner muttered, his eyes still dancing back in Lex's direction when they stood in the entryway. Tim wondered if he was following Lex with some kind of x-ray vision. That was part of his powerset that Tim hadn't had a chance to test yet.

"If you need to go, then go. Will I see you tomorrow?" Tim asked.

"Yes. I mean, I think so. Assuming I'm not living in Kansas or something. I'll-- I'll let you know what happens."

Tim nodded, and called the elevator. He waved goodbye as the doors closed, then tracked its process down to the lobby before turning back to the apartment at large. As he'd expected, Lex was waiting for him in the kitchen.

"Would you like to explain the situation a bit more now that Conner isn't present?" Lex's tone made it clear it wasn't a request.

"I started dating Conner just over two weeks ago. He's the one I took to the baseball game. We're still figuring out the details." Tim slid onto one of the stools at the kitchen island, and folded his hands in front of him.

Lex pinched the bridge of his nose, then slid his hand back over his head. "Is part of figuring that out fighting Superboy, or have you decided to put that aside?" There was a thread of tension in his voice, but Lex managed to keep his tone even.

"No, that's two different things."

Lex blinked slowly. "Elaborate."

"I'm dating Conner, and I will occasionally fight Superboy, or plan fights for Superboy. I don't intend to ever actually engage him."

Lex narrowed his eyes, "You believe you can maintain that?"

Tim considered it. He hadn't really thought through all the long term options, which he could see now was a mistake. Possibilities spiraled out from his current situation and he eventually had to shrug.

"That will be up to him. He already knows who I am. I'm not hiding anything from him, and I know who he is, so even if he's not telling me, I still have all the information. Eventually he'll either ask me to stop or tell me his secret. If both of us live that long, then we'll deal with it then."

Lex eased down onto his own stool. "You don't think trying to kill him will cause future relationship problems?" Now he sounded more resigned than angry or frustrated.

"Well I haven't actually tried to kill him yet, and better me than Brainiac or Metalo or Darkseid. I have an invested interest, they don't."

Lex shook his head, "You are either far more mature than I was at your age or far more optimistic." He took a breath, than lifted one hand. "Fine. Do as you like, but I expect to be kept up on the status of things." He met Tim's eye, "If this ever becomes a problem, you will have to make a choice."

"I know. It won't be a problem."

Lex tipped his head and if to say that it was on his head. He stood, then paused, "I don't need to give you the sex talk do I?"

"I figured we'd wait until we were both legal. It's only a few years, and that way no one will have any legal recourse for anything."

Lex nodded, "Good choice," and made a hasty exit.

 

\---

 

Conner's mind was a mix of static and random curse words. He didn't have a big vocabulary yet, but he was using what he knew with full fervor.

Lex Luthor.

How had he not known?

Well he had known. He knew exactly who the man was, he'd just never...

Fuck.

Conner slumped onto a bench and let his head slump down in the classic pose that was supposed to help panicking people. He wasn't sure if it helped Kryptonians, but then, he was only half kryptonian. He'd always been half Kryptonian, he knew that. Had known it for a while, He'd just never thought it was very important before.

Conner's phone vibrated in his pocket. It had been going off at intervals for a while. He hadn't answered it. When he'd been with Tim it had been out of a sense of defiance. Now...

Conner was desperate for someone to talk to, even if that someone was Clark. He fumbled his phone out of his pocket and nearly sobbed when he saw the text from Kara.

_ Kon for Rao's sake please answer me. _

He scrolled up through a dozen previous texts all saying that she was with him. She just wanted to talk. She trusted his judgement and would help him through this. She even offered to let him stay with her and join the DEO if he wanted.

_ I'm here _ , he sent back to her.

Her reply came back immediately,  _ Kon are you okay? _

_ Not really. _

_ Oh Kon. _ There was a pause and Kon kept his eyes on the little dot dot dot typing symbol.  _ Clark can be stubborn, but I know you can work this out. _

Conner closed his eyes, and shook his head. The argument was only hours ago but it felt like an age.

_ It's not that, _ Kon wondered what to say. How could he possibly tell her...  _ I think Lex Luthor is my dad. _

There was a pause, and Conner imagined her reading the text over and over.

_ What do you mean? _ She finally asked. He didn't know her well enough to know what tone she would have used, but it didn't really matter.

_ Cadmus made me half human. I knew what he looked like, but not who he was. _

This time the pause was short before Kara sent back,  _ I'm coming over, where are you? _

Kon had to look around before he could answer her. He'd managed to stumble a few blocks before slumping onto his bench. He was outside a church, the bench sat on the edge of the small graveyard. The cathedral was lit up from below, white stone against a black sky. Conner raised his phone and snapped a picture sending it to her.

_ I'll be there in ten. _

Conner spent the ten minutes just trying to breathe. He wished the sun was up. He never felt the same at night, like a part of him was missing.

Kara landed softly ten feet away, her cape fluttering gently as she touched down.

"Conner?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

Then Kara was wrapping him in her arms, and he gratefully buried his face in her shoulder. She let him shake for a few long minutes, stroking his hair.

"Think you can talk now?" She eventually asked. Conner took a breath and nodded. She pulled him back over to the bench, spread her cape out and sat.

"Okay What do you mean, Lex is your dad? How could that even...?"

Conner took a breath, considered, and went back to the beginning.

"I was created to replace Superman if he ever died or turned from the light. The theory is that Superman is now necessary to human survival. There's too many things out there that could destroy us. Until we manage to come up with something else, we need him. I don't know who decided to create me originally, but I know I wasn't the first. The first clone was called Project Match and he was...

"He wasn't stable. It wasn't his fault, but he couldn't be controlled or reasoned with. So, they decided to try again, but this time they made the clone half human. Me.

"One day, after one of my evaluations, the scientists left my file open on one of the computers. I didn't know what it was at first, and then when I realized, I was curious. I saw his face. Lex Luthor, I just never realized it was him. People would talk about him. I've read articles, but I never put it together. I thought the guy in my file was just one of the scientists. They did things like that sometimes. Then tonight..."

Conner had to stop and close his eyes. His head fell back as he focused on his breathing.

"I was with Tim." He finally managed to say. He swallowed around the lump in his throat. "I went over to Tim's place after the fight with Clark. We were just hanging out, but then Luthor came home and I saw him and..."

"Oh, Conner." Kara wrapped her arm around his shoulders and leaned her forehead against his. "You know this doesn't change anything right? I mean, it does, because you know now, but it doesn't change who you are."

"Clark and me just fought about this. He's never going to let me stay after he finds out, and I'm not even sure I want him to."

Kara didn't pull away. "Can I tell you a story?" She asked after the silence had stretched.

Conner nodded without really looking at her. At this point he'd take practically anything to not think about his own situation.

"You know I was born on Krypton? Alura was my aunt and we were really close back then. She actually helped discover that Kryptonn was going to die. She tried to warm people, but she did it all wrong. She blew up buildings, she killed people. Eventually she was imprisoned in the phantom zone, which means she was still alive a few years ago when the phantom zone broke open. 

"I thought-- I thought I was lucky.  She said it was a mistake. That she'd been trying to help people, but in the end she just ended up hurting more people. I loved my aunt, but I couldn't let her do that, not again. not here on earth. She was family and I loved her, but she held a kryptonite knife to my throat. She's dead now, but I had to struggle with my feelings towards her for a long time. 

"You, well. Lex might be your father, or he might not. He's a brilliant man, but, and here's the important thing, he's not your dad."

Conner gave her a sideways mournful look.

"I know it sounds weird, but I was adopted when I came to earth. I have two dads. Three, sort of, if you include J'onn. Family is more than blood. If you want to go after the truth, I'll be there for you. If you want to try to get to know him, well, it'll be tricky, but I'll be in your corner." She pulled him in close. "No matter what else happens, I claim you as family. Okay?"

Conner took a ragged breath and let it out just as slowly. "Yeah, thanks."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again Kara is the best.  
> Also go ahead and assume she glares at Clark until he comes to his senses, or goes and cools his head or something. Kon is not getting kicked out on her watch.


	13. Cadmus

 

_ I think Lex Luthor is my dad. _

_ Cadmus made me half human. I knew what he looked like, but not who he was. _

Tim had only looked at the cloned version of Conner's cell phone in order to make sure he was okay, but now he couldn't stop staring at the texts. This Kara, Supergirl if the area code was any indication, definitely knew Conner's identity. Tim didn't recognise the church picture, but he could have found it easily enough. That wasn't the real issue though. He had to believe that Kara could help Conner through whatever this was, because Tim had a different set of problems.

Either Lex knew about Superboy from the start, had maybe even ordered his creation, or he hadn't known about him and someone had taken advantage of Lex as much as Superman in his creation. If the former, well, Tim didn't like the idea that Lex wouldn't tell him about it. He thought he'd long gotten past the point of earning Lex's trust. Still, it was Lex's prerogative. Their whole lives were built on the concept of need-to-know information. Information was power, and this was certainly an ace in the hole for someone. If it wasn't Lex, then it was likely one of his enemies or rivals, which lead to the question: should he talk to Lex?

Tim needed more information.

He stayed up late into the night, scouring Lex's servers for any sign of Superboy or a genetics project that might have lead to his creation.

The next day was Friday. A part of Tim wanted to skip, but keeping up appearances was important, and Conner would be there. They didn't talk in class. Conner looked as tired as he felt, but there was something in the way he held himself that spoke of solidity. Conner would be okay, at least until the next crisis. 

Tim told himself that that was enough, and got back to his research.

 

\--

 

Lex had settled himself into a corner of his lab. Sunday meant he didn't have to clear his schedule or worry about the business getting in the way of his creative process. Tim had been quiet all weekend, but he was there with him now, so whatever it was, Lex contented himself that Tim probably had it covered.

He was in the middle of redesigning the sensors for the robot Superman had destroyed when TIm straightened and came to stand at his shoulder.

"Do you have a moment?"

Lex glanced up, saved his work and turned to face Tim. "Something wrong?"

Tim looked down at his hands, rubbing the pads of his fingers together, "I've been going through the archives... what do you know about Cadmus? There were a few references, but nothing concrete."

Lex leaned back and considered, "Cadmus. It was a genetics lab created around the same time as the JLI by... odd, I can't remember the name. It must not have been important. For a time they were a competitor of Star Labs, but as far as I know they collapsed and sold off their assets to other organizations." Lex waved a hand. "Does it matter?"

"Superboy was created by Cadmus." Tim's expression was focused, but Lex couldn't tell if it was out of concern or scientific interest.

Lex half-turned back to his computer and opened a new window. "They did have a complex just outside Metropolis," He murmured to himself. He eventually found the address but the building was now just offices. He was about to turn back to TIm when his screen lit up with an alert. It was his Justice League watch program. Superman was on the move. 

Lex frowned and opened the alert, ready to dismiss it if it was anything less than world-ending. Satellite images of a glowing green meteor that had landed in Germany filled his screen.

"Kryptonite?" Tim asked, as the same question flashed through his own mind. 

"No, the radiation isn't right. This is--" Lex cursed under his breath, "magic." He closed his other project and pulled up more information on the surroundings. Before he had more than half the information, more alerts were popping up in the corner of his screen. Something was happening at the JSA headquarters. Power Girl was on the move and Supergirl was moving to counter her.

"I'm sorry Tim, Cadmus will have to wait." He didn't like just brushing Tim off like that, but it was hardly his fault. 

Tim hesitated, then nodded and faded into the background.

 

\--

 

Tim had an address and his equipment, and a goal. That was enough for a plan to start piecing itself together. Superman and the Justice League were busy saving the world. At the very least that would be a good distraction. Late on a Sunday evening, the place would be as deserted as it ever was.

He had checked out one of Lex's motorbikes and parked it a block away. From the outside it really did look like an office building, with all the normal office building security, which was to say, next to nothing. 

Tim didn't try to be invisible as he slipped inside and made his way through the halls. Instead he walked like he belonged there, like he knew exactly where he was going. The sensors built into his coat kept track of everything around him, feeding the data back to the heads-up display in his glasses. He brushed his fingers against the wall at intersections, planting nearly invisible sensors that would track vibrations and build an image of the building like a sonar map. 

Then Tim got to the elevator. They hadn't even bothered to hide it. Tim adjusted his gloves and pressed the call button. They'd have him on camera by now, and they'd definitely have cameras in the elevator. Tim's plan for the cameras wasn't foolproof. There was a low-level scrambler on his phone that was sending out pulses of static. It would only work if it was a computerized system and didn't have someone watching at the other end, but Tim figured his gamble had paid off when the elevator arrived and no alarm had sounded.

There were only two buttons in the elevator, but there was an electrical panel with a simple key lock. Tim had it open in less than a second and a few crossed wires later he was moving smoothly downward. 

There were fifty five levels. Tim stopped on sub-level ten letting the doors slide open with his hands in his pockets, wrapped around the miniature laser gun he'd modeled on the roof defenses of LexCorp tower. No one was waiting for him. So far he hadn't seen a single living person. He didn't know if he should find that suspicious or not.

Sub-level ten opened onto a hallway that smelled of cheap antiseptic and and bleach. The doors were all the type that sealed automatically, with access pads by the doors. A few of them had frosted observation windows. Tim stepped back into the elevator and went down to sub-level 15. This time the doors opened on cold stone that was braced by steel beams. Three passages split off within sight. Each of them lit with red work lights. Tim frowned and ducked back into the elevator. His third stop was an almost organic-looking tunnel covered in a luminescent green substance. A number of large creatures that seemed to be a cross between a gorilla and an ox passed by. They had little creatures perched on their shoulders. Tim stepped back into the elevator.

He didn't want to check every floor for some kind of server room, but so far this places didn't seem to have any organization. Each floor was completely different in both design and purpose, as if whoever had built Cadmus had just tacked things on whenever they ran out of room. Higher security would put the servers in one of the lower levels, but if the building really was relatively unplanned then they could be closer to the surface. 

The elevator pulled smoothly to a stop without Tim pressing anything. He mentally kicked himself. Of course other people would try to use the elevator. He should have gone looking for the stairs, or at least made up his mind faster. Then the doors opened. 

The figure waiting to step inside wasn't human. It, he, Tim decided they were probably male, had the same blue-gray skin as the gorilla creatures and the imps that had been riding them. He was shorter than an average adult, but only by a few inches and made up for it with a pair of horns that bent up away from his skull. He was wearing a formless off-white tunic that might have been meant as some sort of apron or possibly a surgical gown. 

Tim was at the back of the elevator car, it wasn't as if there was anywhere to hide after all. His hand was back in his pocket, fingering his gun, even as he pretended to check his watch. The creature frowned, and tilted his head as he stepped inside. Tim felt an itch crawl around the inside of his skull. 

He'd never encountered a telepath before but he was suddenly absolutely certain that the creature beside him could read his mind. Tim focused on watching the numbers shifting past, taking them back up towards the surface. He focused on how bored he was, how tired, how the the tag of his shirt was scratching the back of his neck, anything to make him seem boring and unnoticeable. 

"You are very good at that," the creature said in a slow, even tone. "With a bit of training, you could create considerable shields."

Tim didn't stop to consider. He slid the laser-pistol out of his pocket, and pulled the trigger, once, twice-- The creature had its hand up, its horns glowing. Maybe it expected bullets. Whatever it was trying to do didn't stop the shots from hitting the control panel. The elevator jerked to a stop. Both occupants stumbled. Tim had been expecting it and recovered first. 

Tim pushed himself to his feet, ready to...

Tim stopped.

...

Tim blinked.

The world had changed around him. His gun was no longer in his hand. His shoulders were lighter, from the lack of his jacket. The room, a lab of some kind, judging by the computer equipment and robotic helper droids, was covered in a wash of green. Tim blinked again and reoriented, it wasn't the room that was green, it was the glass. He was in a glass coffin, strapped down with soft flexible cuffs at his wrists and ankles. It wasn't anything he couldn't get out of, but he'd need the time to do it.

Most importantly, he wasn't alone. There were two humans in the room along with the creature who had shared the elevator with him, and a handful of the smaller imp creatures. The first human was male with short amber hair and a five o'clock shadow creeping down the side of his face. He had the look of someone who worked long hours, but was still ready to go. When Tim looked at him there was a faint pressure behind his temples. It wasn't like the earlier scan from the telepath, this was closer to a natural headache. Tim blinked several times and looked at the other figure. She was a black woman with a heavy figure who nevertheless filled the room with her presence. She had her hands on her hips, waiting for the telepath to finish speaking.

"It took some time to identify him, and once we did it was decided that you needed to be notified."

Tim didn't waste the energy to curse. He had been stripped, but not thoroughly. The gun was gone, of course, and his phone and jacket, but he still had his watch and glasses. The glasses were in power save mode, which meant it had been several hours. Tim started twisting his wrist, trying to edge his watch under the cuffs.

"Well at least you did that right," the back woman was saying. "Tim Luthor can't just disappear without anyone noticing. The question is, does his patron know where he is?"

"If I may?" The man stepped in. The woman startled, as if she'd forgotten he was there. She shook her head, blinking to clear it, and faced him. Before she could speak he had stepped in, "Hold him for ransom, get Luthor to come to you." The man's voice rang as he spoke, and a trickle of red dripped from his nose. He reached into a pocket, pulling out some pocket tissues as if expecting it. The woman went stiff for a moment, then turned back to the telepath without comment. 

"Keep him here. I'll handle it." She glanced up at Tim, then turned to the door, and marched away.

Tim's attention returned to the man, who was now looking up at him.

"Ah, finally awake?"

The pressure in Tim's temples was slowly growing. "Who are you?"

"Max Lord," The man said easily. Tim heard the name, then it slipped sideways and he lost it. The pressure was blinding for a minute before slowly receding.

"You were right Dubbilex, his mind is quite something. I can see him trying to remember. No wonder Luthor snatched him up. I'll have to keep an eye on him in the future," Lord said easily.  He stepped up to the glass covering Tim and waited for Tim to meet his eyes again. This time his voice didn't just ring, it pulled through his brain, until Tim's heart was beating with the words. "You will not try to escape me."

The man's nose was bleeding again. He dabbed at it as Tim adjusted to his new reality. He would not try to escape. There was no point. He knew it like he knew his own name, like he knew he needed air or gravity. Tim stilled.

Lord turned to the door. 

Tim did not try to escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Max Lord is a supervillian with minor levels of telepathy. He was killed by Wonder Woman during Infinite Crisis, and came back to life after the Blackest night comic storyline. During the Brightest Day storyline and the events of Justice League Generation Lost, Max convinced everyone he did not exist. Generation Lost is a really good storyline and I highly recommend it.


	14. Semantics

 

Conner couldn't stop his eyes from drifting to Tim's normal seat as his teacher called attendance for the first class of the day. Tim was never late. They hadn't talked all weekend, and Conner had been waiting to see Tim. He wasn't sick. The teacher would know if he'd called out. Conner bit his lip and glanced at the door again. 

The piercing note was high pitched, too high pitched. It was like a needle zipping back and forth through his brain. The world went white, swimming in blobs of color. Conner barely registered that he was screaming, or that he'd fallen out of his chair. There were people talking, hovering over him. He dug his fingers into the sides of his head, trying to tear out his own ears. Somewhere in the back of his mind he recognise it. He'd heard this before, much quieter and not sustained like this, but he had heard it. Where? When? 

"Hang on, I've almost, there." The sound retreated, until it was just an echo in the background. Kon took a breath, and slowly raised his head. He wasn't in the classroom anymore He was leaning against a set of lockers in a corner of the empty hallway. Megan and Cassie were standing over him, as Cassie half-carried him. Megan had one hand up by the side of her head, frowning.

"What?" Conner asked. His voice was faint. Odd, he hadn't tried to be quiet.

"I'm dampening your hearing," Megan said, "are you okay?"

"I-- what?" He could hear her faintly, and she was exaggerating her speaking, so he could sort of read her lips, but he still didn't understand.

"We figured it was some kind of attack and said we'd take you to the nurse," Cassie said slowly.

"You can't hear that?" No, of course they couldn't. If they could they'd be doubled over too, but how...?

"Super hearing isn't in my powerset," Cassie said with a shrug. "What are you hearing, anyway?"

Conner focused on standing on his own. "It's a, like a whistle, really high pitched. I've heard it before. Tim's first day of school he was messing with me, He had this device that could make a sound like this." It was easier to remember now that the sound was being blocked.

Cassie and Megan looked at each other.

"Doesn't Superman have a friend with something like that?" Megan asked.

Cassie nodded, "I think so, Conner, is Superman still dealing with that thing in Germany?"

"They're on the moon now I think, wait--" He stopped and looked at looked at his friends, "How do you know that?"

"You can not be that dense." Cassie looked at him for a long minute than rolled her eyes, "Of course you can. I'm Wonder Girl, She's Miss Martian. How did you not pick up on that?"

Megan nodded when he looked at her. Than she glanced around. Once she was sure the coast was clear, she shimmered or shifted, or something. Her skin turned green, and her clothes changed into a black and red costume with an X across her chest and a blue cape fell from her shoulders.

"My lasso's in my locker," Cassie added. "Now are we going to go answer that call or what?"

Kon's face split into a grin, "Yeah, let's go."

 

\--

 

Tim had been forced to break his watch to get out of the cuffs. 

He wasn't escaping. He couldn't escape, but the key was that he couldn't escape from  Max Lord , that man, not that he couldn't escape from the cuffs or the coffin, or even the building, as long as he was still in custody. Tim slipped to the floor and went looking for  Max Lord . 

It wasn't hard to find him. He wasn't hiding, moreover people shied away from him. Meaning that no one noticed him as long as he stood in  Lord 's shadow.  Max Lord wasn't very observant either. Tim kept expecting him to turn around and spot him, but he never even bothered looking. Tim silently followed the man to the elevator, waited for him to get on, and watched what floor it stopped at. He called the elevator back down, and followed him up to sub-level three.

Here were the computer rooms and offices he'd originally been looking for.  Max Lord wandered forward with his hands in his pockets, eventually opening a door and waving the technician away.

"I'll take care of this." This time there was only a hint of blood at  Lord 's nose. The Tenition didn't even glance at Tim as he wandered down the hall.  Lord settled into a chair in front of a set of monitors. He stretched, then started typing. Tim watched from the doorway, eyeing the rack of servers behind a set of glass doors.  Lord hadn't told him not to get what he came for, but was it worth the risk of being noticed? Tim frowned and faded back into the shadow behind the door. 

For now, all he could do was wait.

 

\--

 

The sound led to Cadmus.

Superboy stood on a roof across the street, with Wonder Girl and Miss Martian flanking him. He'd filled them in on Cadmus, and they'd agreed to follow his lead. He took a breath. He'd been trained for this. He knew what they could do, and he knew the terrain, but that didn't mean his heart wasn't pounding in his chest. He'd never lead anyone anywhere before and now that he was faced with it, he wasn't sure he wanted to. Hopefully he'd be able to get in touch with Dubbilex and sort it all out. Maybe it was just a test. Maybe Dubbilex was trying to get his attention...

Yeah, probably not.

Kon nodded to his friends and stepped off the roof, falling lightly to the ground. He didn't bother with the main entrance. The side door opened with a bit of pressure. There were people around on a Monday morning, but Kon nodded at Miss Martian. She raised a hand and a moment later, nodded back.

"We're not invisible, but they won't notice us."

They headed for the stairs. 

Sub-level one was mostly machinery, the kind of thing you'd find in any basement, Cadmus really started at sub-level two. That was where Conner started calling out in his mind. He didn't trust the scientists or the directors, but he did trust Dubbilex, and the Genomorph would definitely know what was going on.

Kon got a wordless answer as he hit sub-level three. "Here." He pushed open the door to a sizable break room. A set of couches faced each other. A water cooler sat beside a fridge. A pair of small round tables were pushed against one wall. In the center of it all stood Dubbilex The genomorph tilted his head, watching the three heroes.

Kon stepped forward, "Hey, there was a signal, what--"

Dubbilex raised a hand, his horns glowing at the tables lifted off the ground, "Cadmus's secret must be protected," He said in a monotone, and launched the furniture at the heroes.

Conner reacted without thought, diving to the side. What was going on? He held up a hand, palm out.

"I do not want to hurt you."

Dubbilex swept a hand through the air. Superboy was swept aside. He felt plaster dent as he hit a wall. Wonder Girl launched herself through the space where he'd stood, fist raised. Her punch knocked his head back, skin darkening into a bruise. His horns were glowing before he even looked back at her. Wonder Girl gasped, and clutched her head.

"Cassie!" Miss Martian cried out. She looked from her fellow hero to the Genomorph. "Let my friend go."

She landed, and her eyes lit up, turning a bright spring green. Wonder Girl turned, stalking forward. She grabbed the front of Miss Martian's costume, and lifted her into the air.

Kon pried himself free of the wall and leapt on Wonder Girl. The three heroes fell to the floor, tumbling together. Wonder Girl snagged Miss Martian's cape. Kon grabbed for her arm. Miss Martian shifted, shrinking away. Wonder Girl snarled her frustration. Kon didn't waste his breath with a response.

"Hold her! I'll break his hold," Miss Martian gasped. She was still on her knees as she turned back to Dubbilex, but her eyes lit up again, and her hair billowed up around her. 

Superboy got a grip on Wonder Girl's arm and pulled. She cried out, then lashed out. He ducked his head, refusing to let go. Wonder Girl pushed off the ground, and Kon hit another wall. His head snapped back, denting the plaster. 

For a moment his whole body tingled. His fingers loosened, but he could still feel Cassie, a tingling presence like when his hand fell asleep. Right now she was just a puppet for Dubbilex, but somehow Superboy could see the strings. He couldn't feel her mind but the rest of it was right on the edge of his understanding. He wrapped his will around Wonder Girl and pushed her to stand, just like he'd pushed Tim away from the ground all those weeks ago. His fingers trailed down her arm as she fought his hold. Her expression was a tangle of fear and rage and frustration. 

Superboy followed her to his feet, never breaking the connection. He still wasn't sure exactly how he was doing this, but all Genomorphs were at least a little telepathic so maybe he was too.

"All the heroes in this room are going to stop moving." The voice rang through the room, confident and thrumming with the pulse of his heart.

Superboy froze.

 

\--

 

Tim watched  Lord grumble as he got the alert. He stood in a huff and headed for the door. Tim glanced at the servers, but the compulsion not to escape took hold again.  Lord stalked down the hallway, towards what looked like a break room, if one that had seen some damage. 

"All the heroes in this room are going to stop moving,"  Lord said as he stepped through the door. Tim thought about the words. They were trying to take hold, but Tim was hardly a hero. If anything he was a villain, or the next best thing to one, at least by public opinion. 

Others in the room weren't so lucky. Conner and Cassie, both in costume, came to a stop. Megan was already stationary so it was hard to tell if the command had affected her as well. Tim filed away the fact that they were Miss Martian and Wonder Girl for later examination. 

Lord dabbed at the blood streaming from his nose, as he looked around. He was grumbling as he moved up beside the telepath.

Tim watched him, then stepped back, silently crossing the room. Conner was still breathing, and his eyes were focused at least. Tim glanced back at where  Lord was talking to himself. 

Tim had to stand on tiptoes to whisper in Conner's ear, "You'll only get one shot. If you can stop him from talking he can't affect you." It was only a guess, but for some reason it felt like the right one.

Lord had ordered the heroes not to move but if Conner wasn't a hero... Tim slipped the glasses off his nose and tucked them over Conner's ears. The shirt was more of a problem, but at least that was all it was, he wouldn't have a chance of getting through Kryptonian fabric. A drawer in the small kitchenette provided a pair of scissors. 

Tim had just gotten back to Conner, and was going for his shirt, when  Lord saw him. 

"What? You, what are you--"

"Conner!" Tim screamed, trying to drown out anything else  Lord might say. The last of Conner's shirt ripped away, and the Kryptonian launched himself forward. Tim fell to the side, and lost the first few second of the struggle. By the time he looked up again Conner had  Lord by the throat.  Lord was trying to talk, but every time he managed more than a syllable Conner bashed him against the floor.

The telepath turned, and Tim had just enough time to yell out Conner's name again before his horns were glowing. Conner was tossed through the air, and Tim heard four words that rang through his mind like absolute truth.

"I was never here."

Tim had been captured. There had been a telepath, and a black woman. He had escaped. He'd gone up to the third sub-level. The guard had gone on break. Tim had heard something and gone to find Conner, Cassie and Megan fighting the telepath. There had never been a man with auburn hair. No one had even ordered him not to escape. 

Tim gasped, shaking his head. Conner was fighting the telepathic creature. Somehow he'd lost his shirt, no, Tim had done that, he just couldn't remember why. At least it was a good view. 

"Superboy!" The other heroes cried in unison. Miss Martian flew forward, her hands spread. 

Tim stepped back. He didn't want to be there when the fight ended. Either the heroes won, in which case there would be some pointed questions that he couldn't really answer, or the other side won, in which case there would likely be a lot of pain. He'd almost made it to the door when a siren blared and red lights flashed on.

"That's the emergency signal. We've got three minutes to get out." Conner said, slightly breathless. The telepath seemed to be unconscious. The heroes looked at each other and all ran for the stairs, and by coincidence, right at Tim. He caught Conner's eye a fraction of a second before Conner's arms were wrapped around him. Then the world blurred around him.

When the world stilled, he was standing a block away from the Cadmus building. There was the flash of a cape over the building, and the confident tones of the three young heros ordering an evacuation.

Tim gulped in a breath. Conner wasn't going to like it, but that didn't stop him from stumbling back to the motorbike he'd parked nearby and turning for home.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the comic storyline Justice League Generation Lost Max Lord convinces the whole world that he doesn't exist. Since this is set loosely during that time, no one realizes who Lord is and Tim's brain keeps trying to reject the knowledge.


	15. Me and You

 

Tim was exhausted by the time he slumped into the penthouse. Lex was pacing, with Mercy standing at stiff attention by the window. Lex’s face was red, but instead of yelling he took a breath and then let it out all at once. He pulled Tim into a hug, then almost immediately pushed him back and looked him over.

“I got a ransom message. Are you hurt? What happened?”

Tim slumped onto the couch, closed his eyes and started talking. He told Lex everything, how he’d learned Conner was half human. How he’d gone to Cadmus to get the evidence, but had gotten captured instead. How his escape had been delayed. How the heroes had arrived. How the building had collapsed as he’d driven away. 

Lex listened. Occasionally he asked questions. By the time he finished, Tim was worn out, even though it was only mid-morning. Lex sent him to bed. 

Tim woke hours later. Mercy was still there, watching over him. She fed him something he barely tasted before falling back into bed. 

His alarm failed to go off the next day. He stumbled up and out of his room around ten the next morning. Mercy was in the main room, sipping a cup of something steaming. Lex was in his home office. Tim waited until he was done with his video-meeting before slipping inside.

“Lex.”

“Tim.”

Tim waited.

Lex watched him for a long minute. Eventually he folded his hands in front of him. “What you did was a risk. You didn’t have a plan. You didn’t have enough information. You let your feelings for Superboy dictate your actions, and it nearly cost everything.”

Tim considered that. “Maybe. And if so?”

“I’m transferring you out of South Metropolis General. You were already ahead of your class. You can take classes at Metropolis University, and you will assist me at LexCorp. Mercy will also be researching self defence instructors for you.” Lex adjusted his cuffs and started to stand.

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

Tim took a moment to put his thoughts in order, “I am not opposed to the self defence, the classes or working with you, but I will be going back to South Metropolis.”

Lex’s jaw tightened. “This is not a negotiation.”

“I agree.”

For several long minutes they matched gazes and wills. Finally Tim spoke in a quiet voice, “I need to talk to him.”

“And what do you expect him to say, exactly?” Lex was sneering, but there was pain under it. Something that Tim had only seen the edges of up to that point. There had been so many moments of decision in the past few days. Standing on the edge of yet another one, Tim felt exhausted. For once he didn’t look too closely at the outcomes. If Lex wanted to accuse him of short-sightedness then at least Tim could follow through on it. 

“Conner isn’t Clark, and you aren’t your father. I’m hoping both of you will stop acting like it.” Tim knew the words were too much as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Lex was drawing himself up, redying a verbal attack, but Tim didn’t stick around to listen. 

Mercy barely had time to stand as Tim rushed past her, slamming the button for the elevator. He was inside and shooting down before they could stop him.

Tim told himself he was running towards something, not just running away.

 

\--

 

Conner stared out the window without really seeing anything. He’d gone through the day in a haze. Being back in school felt weird after the exploits of the day before. It was just the Queer Alliance meeting in a spare classroom like it did every Tuesday after school. Megan and Cassie were talking about the homecoming dance.

He briefly wondered if the hero thing should feel like the weird bit and not all this, but to be fair, he had been created for the superhero bit… and that thought got a little too close to things that still hurt. He blinked and refocused on the cars in the parking lot outside.

Conner didn’t look up when the door opened, too busy trying to read a licence plate, then Cassie stood up and put her hands on her hips.

“Luthor,” Cassie practically spat.

“Considering that I might be disowned, you should probably call me Drake, or just Tim.”

Conner slowly turned his head. Sure enough, Tim was standing in the doorway, head bowed and looking around from under his lashes.

“Can we talk?” Tim eventually said, eyes settling on Conner.

Cassie set her feet and crossed her arms, “Anything you have to say can be said in front of us.”

Tim flicked his eyes at her. “That wasn’t what I asked.”

Cassie hesitated, glancing at Conner.

Conner… wasn’t sure what to think. He’d fought with it, all night, and then when Tim hadn’t shown up for school… He’d thought that was it. It had all been a ploy. A way for Tim to get close to him, maybe learn about Cadmus in the process. 

Kara had been right. He should never have started dating Tim, except… It wasn’t like he’d told Tim his secret. Tim had just known somehow. It wasn’t some wall built up between them. Did that mean the advice didn’t count? Tim hadn’t used the knowledge against him. He’d even used it to help him in the fight. His head hurt thinking about that bit; he knew he’d been fighting, but the details were fuzzy. Was it because Dubbilex had been attacking him, or was it something Tim had done?

Conner crossed his arms. “Am I going to want to punch you after you say whatever it is?” Conner was pretty sure Tim was smarter than that. Then again, maybe he had some kind of personal force field to protect him instead of pretty words.

“I hope not,” Tim hesitated, then actually stepped into the room. He was running one thumb over his watch, a new one, Conner noticed, and there was a low level tension in him even if he wasn’t fidgeting.

Conner settled back in his chair. “You know who I am.”

“I do.” Tim agreed. “I also know the identity of Superman, and I have high suspicions on Supergirl. After yesterday I also know about the two of you.” The last was said with a nod to Megan and Cassie.

“And what do you plan to do with that information?” Cassie asked through gritted teeth. Conner had to admit he agreed with the emotion behind her question.

“At the moment, nothing,” Tim said

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Conner blurted out before Cassie could snap at him again.

Tim looked down, then his hands fell to his sides and he straightened. “ Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” 

Conner spoke five languages, but that one wasn’t familiar.

“Who watches the watchmen?” Megan said softly, “you think we need to be watched?” She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

_ To destroy superman should he turn from the light -  _ the second half of Conner’s mission from Cadmus had never sounded so ominous.

“Lex keeps Superman in check, Superman keeps Lex in check. Each could destroy the other, but they don’t. On a large scale, humanity needs both of them.” Tim shrugged. “It’s one way to look at it, at least, even if it isn’t easy to be part of it.” Tim wasn’t looking at Conner anymore, he was staring out the window instead.

“Clark hates Lex,” Conner let his shoulders fall. This would all have been so much easier if Tim wasn’t a Luthor. If Tim had been just another kid, or if he’d been a hero…

“Lex says he hates Superman, but he doesn’t. Like I said, it would be easy for him to kill Superman if it was just hate. Half the time he just uses Superman to stress-test his robots.”

“And the other half?” Conner couldn’t help but ask.

“Keeping Superman on his toes. Testing his reflexes. Sometimes just getting in his way or pointing him at someone worse.”

Conner couldn’t help but laugh, a short, broken, ironic thing. He leaned forward, elbows on the desk, head on his hands. “That’s what you were doing to me, those first few days, wasn’t it? I thought it was just an accident, or a coincidence or something.”

Tim nodded. He’d relaxed a fraction, perching on the edge of one of the desks. In the background, Megan touched Cassie’s arm and nodded at the door. Cassie shot Tim one last evil eye before they quietly slipped out of the room.

“What were you even doing in Cadmus anyway?”

Tim shrugged, “I cloned your cell and saw the texts about Lex being your dad. I wanted to know if it was true and if Lex had ordered it, but I couldn’t find anything in his files so I went to the source.”

Kon stared at him for a long minute, “You know you just admitted to breaking the law, like, three different times, right?” 

Tim looked up at the ceiling, “Only once actually. The Cadmus facility was illegal, so I can’t be charged for breaking and entering, and I already had access to Lex’s files, so it’s just your phone that I could get in trouble for.” Tim looked down at him and lowered his voice, “am I going to get in trouble for it?”

And there it was… Conner knew he should have been angry, and he had been last night, but he’d had time to think about it. Tim’s knowledge had saved him. He couldn’t be angry about that. He knew he should be angry about the invasion of privacy, but until the last few months he’d been a lab experiment. Privacy had been a foreign concept. More than that, the past few weeks had been good. He didn’t want to give up Tim, just because Tim was weird.

“I’m not going to stop being Superboy.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to.”

Conner sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “That’s just it. I can’t date a supervillain but I can’t ask you to not be you either.”

“Why can’t you? Date a supervillain I mean. I wouldn’t change who I am even if you did ask.” Tim pulled up a chair and sat next to him. 

Conner rolled his eyes, “because that’s not how it works.” 

"Fifteen years ago superheroes didn't exist. Now they are recognized with laws and contingencies and trademarks. How things work is constantly changing." Tim reached across the table and took Tim's hand. "I want to be with you."

Conner knew he would never outwit Tim in a debate. More than that, he didn’t want to. 

“Me too,” Conner nudged the desk out of the way and reached for Tim. He came without protest, sliding into Conner’s lap, and wrapping his arms around his neck. Conner stole a quick kiss, biting Tim’s lower lip, before he pulled back. “But what about, you know, everybody.”

Tim tilted his head to the side and a slow smile spread across his face, “Oh, I have a few ideas.” 

Conner pulled him in for another kiss. That was good enough for him.


	16. Epilogue

 

Lex watched the big clock slowly ticking towards midnight, and a new year. There had been times when he never thought he’d get this far, at least not without some kind of mass murder. In the ballroom below him the LexCorp New Year's Eve party was in full swing. Tim had pulled Conner off somewhere an hour or so earlier. In past years Lex had reliably been drunk off his ass by this time of night, but the drink in his hand was only his second.

He caught a flash of red and blue out of the corner of his eye, and turned. Clark was wearing his best blue suit, and a bright red tie. His standard glasses had been swapped out for a novelty pair with glitter and fake fireworks covering half his face.

“You look ridiculous,” Lex said.

“You always say that.”

“I do,” he admitted. “I didn’t expect you to actually come.” The last time they had seen each other there had been a lot of shouting, but it appeared that Tim and Conner’s campaign had borne some fruit at least.

Clark shrugged. “I didn’t expect you to ask.”

There were a hundred things he could say, but most of them had already been said in a hundred different ways, accusations and old wounds, and old hopes all muddled together.

The party below them started counting down. Clark glanced at the big clock and Lex followed his gaze. When he looked back Clark had come closer, his hand came up, hovering.

Bells, whistles and noisemakers rang through the air. People started singing. Purple, white, and green balloons fell from the ceiling. 

Clark kissed him.

Lex gasped into it. He’d seen it coming, but he hadn’t been able to believe it. Clark tasted like champagne and sunshine.

“Happy New Year Lex,”

“Yes. Yes, I think it will be.”

**Author's Note:**

> Bess... I want to point out that the podfic prompt had no beginning and about three endings.  
> I will not at this time be writing the parent trap sequel, because this story is already way more of a thing than I thought it was going to be. I can not count the times I threw up my hands and asked why I was doing this to myself.  
> ...I do like how it came out though...  
> :)


End file.
